Greetings and Courtesy

Hiligaynon, as with most Austronesian languages in the Philippines, is a living and ever-changing language.  Try to read a Hiligaynon Bible and you will see that most of the words being used in it are not used colloquially.  Ilonggo, as it is commonly known, borrowed words from Cebuano, Filipino, English, Spanish, Chinese and even Gay Language.

Traditional greetings have become obsolete.  But if you're a purist, take awhile to read the succeeding phrases.

Kumusta ka is our version of How are you? In this age, though, these are the equivalent:

1. Musta na?
2. Musta 'pre? - 'pre is the shorthand version of pare, which is yet another shorthand version of kumpadre
3. Musta 'pards? - 'pards is yet another shorthand of kumpadre
   
4. Musta?
   

To Illustrate, here is a dialog:
Person A: Kumusta ka?
Person B: Mayo man.  Ikaw?  [I am well.  You?]
Person A: Mayo man ako.


MORE GREETINGS
Maayong/Mayong Adlaw - Good Day
Maayong/Mayong Aga - Good Morning
Maayong/Mayong Ugto - Good Noon (literal translation)
Maayong/Mayong Hapon - Good Afternoon
Maayong/Mayong Gab-i - Good Evening/Night
Halong - Take Care

COURTESY
Palihog/Lihog - Please
Salamat - Thank You
Wala kaso - Welcome
Madamo' nga salamat - Thank you very much
Manong - Signor
Manang - Signora

TIDBIT: Po' and Ho' - Polite Forms of Address in Filipino

The parents of one of my ex-boyfriends regarded me as impolite because I did not use po' or ho'.  I was not used to these words since they do not exist in Hiligaynon.  To address someone politely, we use the plural form of the 2nd person pronoun.  For example, instead of saying Wala ka kwarta? [You do not have money?], you say Wala kamo kwarta?.