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How does Tagalog use stress to distinguish words with different meanings?
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Austronesian languages
Major divisions of the Austronesian languages.
In Tagalog, as in many other languages of the Philippines, stress is used to distinguish between words that are otherwise identical in form. By shifting the emphasis to different syllables, speakers can alter the meaning of a word.1
For example, the word sabat changes meaning based on where the stress is placed:
* sĂĄbat: refers to a design woven into cloth or matting.
* sabĂĄt: refers to a stop pin or lug.
This functional use of stress allows for lexical differentiation within the language.1