Lawrence Reid's 1990 fieldwork revealed only 12 speakers in Villa Santiago, Aglipay, Quirino Province,[3] and in 1992 it was spoken by only three families. It is not closely related to other languages.
There are still small groups of Arta speakers in Maddela and Nagtipunan towns of Quirino Province.[4] Kimoto (2017) reports that Arta has 10 native speakers and 35–45 second-language speakers living primarily in Pulang Lupa, Kalbo, and in Disimungal, Nagtipunan.[5]
The Arta are found in the following places within Nagtipunan Municipality.[6]
Kimoto (2017)[8] lists the following Arta lexical innovations (highlighted in bold). Lexical innovations in Casiguran Agta are also highlighted in bold.
Reid (1994)[9] lists the following reconstructed forms as possible non-Austronesian lexical elements found exclusively in Arta. Forms from Kimoto (2018)[10] have also been included. Note the use of orthographic è [ə] and ng [ŋ].
Gloss
Pre-Arta (Reid 1994)
Arta (Reid 1994)
Arta (Kimoto 2018)
afternoon
(ma-)*lutəp
malutəp
malu:tèp
arrive
*digdig
dumigdig
digdig
bone
*sagnit
sagnit
sikrit 'small thin bones'
butterfly
*pippun
peppun
-
drink
*tim
mattim
ti:m
ear
*ibəŋ
ibəŋ
ibeng
lime
*ŋusu
ŋusú
nusu
man, male
*gilaŋ(-an)
gilaŋán
gilèngan
mosquito
*buŋur
buŋúr
bungor
old (man)
*dupu
dupú
dupu:
one
*sipaŋ
sípaŋ
si:pang
rain
*punəd
púnəd
pu:nèd
run
*gurugud
maggurugúd
gurugud
say, tell
*bud
ibud
bud
sleep
*idəm
médəm
idèm
two
*təlip
tallip
tallip
Reid (1994)[9] lists the following reconstructed forms as possible non-Austronesian lexical elements found in both Arta and "North Agta" (i.e., various Northeastern Luzon languages spoken mostly in Cagayan Province). Forms from Kimoto (2018)[10] have also been included.
Gloss
Reconstructed form (Reid 1994)
Arta (Reid 1994)
Arta (Kimoto 2018)
pity, kindness
*Rəbi
pagarbián
arbi
thirst
*pələk
meɁipla
iplèk
hunt
*purab
mamurab ‘hunt with bow and arrow’
purab
deer, buck
*b[ia]dut
bidut
bidut
fingernail
*[l]usip
lusip
lusip
penis
*g[ia]ləŋ
giləŋ
gilèng
wall
*gəsəd
gisə́d
gisèd
dog, puppy
*lapul
lappul
lappul
fire
*dukut
dut
dut
hair, feather
*pulug
pológ
pulug
The forms *səlub 'fragrant' and *Rəbi 'pity, kindness' are found in both Arta and Alta.[9]