Bahasa Sulu yang mereka tutur adalah mirip bahasa Melayu lama bercampur bahasa Arab dan bahasa etnik lain di sekitar Mindanao. Mengikut sejarah, bahasa asal Suluk sebenarnya adalah dari bahasa asal Orang Tagimaha (Taguima dari Basilan).
Mengikut sumber dari Salsilah Sulu yang dicatat oleh pencatat sejarah Najeeb Saleeby dalam bukunya The History Of Sulu (Manila: 1908), suku kaum Tausug ini dan bahasanya berasal dari beberapa etnik yang bergabung iaitu [[Buranun]], [[Tagimaha]], [[Baklaya]], [[Orang Dampuan]] dan [[Orang Banjar]].<ref name="Ongsotto, Et Al">{{en}}{{cite book|first=Ongsotto, Et Al|last=Ongsotto, Et Al|url=http://books.google.co.id/books?id=ITLRpPrrcykC&lpg=PA39&dq=orang%20banjar%20sulu&pg=PA39#v=onepage&q=orang%20banjar%20sulu&f=true|title=Philippine History Module-based Learning I' 2002 Ed.|publisher=Rex Bookstore, Inc.|year=2002|isbn=9789712334498}} ISBN [http://books.google.co.id/books?id=ITLRpPrrcykC&printsec=copyright#v=onepage&q&f=false 971-23-3449-X]</ref><ref name="Edward Balfour">{{en}}{{cite book|first=[[Edward Balfour|Edward]]|last=Balfour|url=http://books.google.co.id/books?id=SIq_FvJUr40C&lpg=RA3-PA18-IA1&dq=orang%20banjar%20sulu&pg=RA3-PA18-IA1#v=onepage&q=orang%20banjar%20sulu&f=true|title=The cyclopædia of India and of eastern and southern Asia, commercial industrial, and scientific: products of the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms, useful arts and manufactures, Jilid 2|publisher=Bernard Quaritch|year=1885}}</ref><ref name="Theodor Waitz">{{de}}{{cite book|first=[[Theodor Waitz|Theodor]]|last=Waitz|coauthors=Georg Karl Cornelius Gerland|url=[http://books.google.co.id/books?id=U5otAAAAYAAJ&dq=orang%20banjar%20sulu&pg=PA54#v=onepage&q=orang%20banjar%20sulu&f=true|title=Anthropologie der naturvölker: Die Völker der Südsee. Pt.1 Die Malaien. Pt.2. Die Mikron esier und nordwestlichen Polynesier|publisher=F. Fleischer|year=1865}}</ref><ref name="Malayan miscellanies">{{en}}{{cite book|first=Malayan miscellanies|last=Malayan miscellanies|url=http://books.google.co.id/books?id=fBYIAAAAQAAJ&dq=banjar%20kulan&pg=RA4-PA1#v=onepage&q=banjar%20kulan&f=false|title=Malayan miscellanies|publisher=Malayan miscellanies|year=1820}}</ref><ref name="J. H. Moor">{{en}}{{cite book|first=[[J. H. Moor|Moor]] |last=J. H. |url=http://books.google.co.id/books?id=fHhNAAAAYAAJ&dq=banjar%20kulan&pg=RA1-PA31#v=onepage&q=banjar%20kulan&f=false|title=Notices of the Indian archipelago & adjacent countries: being a collection of papers relating to Borneo, Celebes, Bali, Java, Sumatra, Nias, the Philippine islands ...|publisher=F.Cass & co.|year=1837}}</ref><ref name="Gesellschaft für Erdkunde">{{de}}{{cite book|first=Gesellschaft für Erdkunde|last=Berlin|url=http://books.google.co.id/books?id=VBZDAAAAcAAJ&dq=banjar%20kulan&pg=PA122#v=onepage&q=banjar%20kulan&f=false|title=Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin: zugl. Organ d. Deutschen Geographischen Gesellschaft|volume= 2|publisher=Gesellschaft für Erdkunde|year=1867}}</ref><ref name="Zeitschrift">{{de}}{{cite book|first=Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin|last=Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin|url=http://books.google.co.id/books?id=WKBNBfF74IAC&dq=banjar%20kulan&pg=PA122#v=onepage&q=banjar%20kulan&f=false|title=Zeitschrift|publisher=D. Reimer|year=1867}}</ref><ref name="The native races">{{en}}{{cite book|first=Edwin|last=Norris|pages=142|title=The native races of the Indian Archipelago: Papuans|publisher=Perpustakaan Publik Lyon|year=1853|url=http://books.google.co.id/books?id=P9dpkQy7tZ8C&dq=men%20of%20banjar%20sulu&hl=id&pg=PA142#v=onepage&q=men%20of%20banjar%20sulu&f=false}}</ref>