Barong/Parang
 

Naive question:
Is the term Barong just a local pronounciation of a more general Parang?
I.E.: Did the "P" mutated into "B", similar to the "P-to-B" transition in Arabic ( Nablus instead of Napolus)?
Fluent "Malay-group" (Austronesian) speakers, what do you think?

Yes and no, although related both terms are used locally in Sulu and Mindanao, barong/barung is more specific to a type of parang/sword. Questions, naive or not, are good in that they force us to re-evaluate previous written material rather than take publications as fact and regurgitating misinformation. Imho, the "b" use and phonetic similarity to parang has to do with a cultural thing dealing with the barung shape. The barung evolved from the early proto keris form, broad leaf shaped, squared tang, a weapon oriented towards stabbing, thrusting and cutting, some barung show remnants of a splayed blade btw. The barung is probably as old as Moro kampilan and kris, if not older, but didn't gain notoriety until the rise of the Tausug sultanate, from my corrupted point of view, lolz.