QUOTE
Basically no Tagalog word can end on a vowel; it is always followed by a
nihil consonant. This consonant is realized as a light [h] (see Bowen's
phonetic transcriptions), but the majority of native speakers insist that
there is no such sound there. Whatever, this [h] ceases to be silent when a
suffix is added, e.g. mag-[sa]-bi(h) (focused on the actor) > sa-[bi]-hin
(focused on the patient) "to say". Now, if we turn to Sanskrit borrowings
ending in a vowel, we see that some are provided with this [h], e.g. Sans.
rasa > Tag. [la]-sa(h) "savor, taste", while others are provided with the
glottal stop /q/, e.g. Sans. mutya > Tag. mut-[yaq] "pearl".
nihil consonant. This consonant is realized as a light [h] (see Bowen's
phonetic transcriptions), but the majority of native speakers insist that
there is no such sound there. Whatever, this [h] ceases to be silent when a
suffix is added, e.g. mag-[sa]-bi(h) (focused on the actor) > sa-[bi]-hin
(focused on the patient) "to say". Now, if we turn to Sanskrit borrowings
ending in a vowel, we see that some are provided with this [h], e.g. Sans.
rasa > Tag. [la]-sa(h) "savor, taste", while others are provided with the
glottal stop /q/, e.g. Sans. mutya > Tag. mut-[yaq] "pearl".
