In Tagalog /N/ can replace the initial /g/, /k/ and /?/ to give the
stem an emphatic value. The /N/ form is generally obsolete.

gábay "handrail, guide" > ngábay "holding on a handrail"
gálit "anger" > ngálit "gritting of teeth"

kimí? "shy" > ngimí? "shy"
káin "food" > *ngáin > ngináin "grazing"

álan "name" > ngálan "name" > pangálan "name"
asím "sour taste" > ngasím "sour taste"

This also occurs with one stem in /h-/.

hibí? > ngíbi? "child : pursing of the lip when about to cry"

There was also a conjugation in Old Tagalog marked by the prefix/N/.
This prefix harmonizes with the initial then absorbs it.

kíta "see" : k-um-íta ang X nang liwánag > ngíta ang X nang
liwánag "X to see the light = X to be born"

pások "enter" : p-um-ások ang X nang Y > mások ang X nang Y "X to
enter Y"

In the latter example the full conjugation is:
unactuated:
aorist : mások
unreal / irrealis : mámások
actuated:
completed : nások
uncompleted : nánások

The m- "unactuated" Vs n- "actuated" constrast is the same as the one
that affects ma-, mag- and maN- verbs.

Jean-Paul G. POTET, FRANCE