Throughout the history of the Philippines, the teachings and practices of other cultures have greatly impacted the development of the contemporary Filipino language. Up until now, the language itself is still evolving. New words are created very often in the Filipino vocabulary.
These new words can be formed from old or foreign words that are given a new meaning or new words that are thought of from scratch. The Filipinas Institute of Translation (FIT), together with the Opisina ng Transelor of University of the Philippine Diliman, nominates the top new words that are popularly used by the common Filipinos and names a “salita ng taon” or word of the year through a system of voting.
In 2006, the word that was named the word of the year was the word “lobat”. Instinctively, one can guess the origin of the word. The word came from the english term “battery low” and it is used to describe the feeling of exhaustion or tiredness. Although the word seems informal and “Not-Filipino”, it is still considered as a Filipino word because it is redefined by the people and its context is deeply embedded into their culture. It can be said that during that period where the word was made popular, many Filipinos were burnt out whether it was by academic pressure, work requirements, or just personal struggles. Everyone was experiencing the feeling of “lobat.”
Another word that won the word of the year in 2014 was the word “selfie”. Selfie is an extremely western term but it has been very much incorporated in the everyday use of Filipino language. The word became popular because smartphones became available and affordable during this time. No longer was it just the rich people who would say “selfie tayo!”, but even the common people. When everyone was able to afford their own smartphones with front-facing cameras , they became obsessed with taking selfies. There is even a Filipino song dedicated to the life of taking selfie! You cannot blame them because ang pagiging maganda at pogi ain’t a crime (being handsome and beautiful is not a crime).
Last year, the word “tokhang” was named word of the year for 2018. For those who are not familiar, the word “tokhang” originated from a government program called “Toktok Hangyo sa Kabalayan sa mga Suspected Drug Pusher” which aimed to combat the problem on illegal drugs.
This program was set with a positive intention to improve the lives of the victims and punish those who are damaging the lives of others. However, as the program continued, the word became associated with a negative connotation due to the lack of due process which ended with the death of thousands. People in the neighborhood who witnessed the raids would say “natokhang si ganito” which would refer to the unfortunate fate of a person, rather than the involvement of illegal drugs.
It is interesting that the development of the Filipino vocabulary reflects to what their experiences were during that point in time. Whether the situation was fun, happy, frustrating, or fearful, there would always be an accurate description to describe what they were feeling.
Whether or not you are a speaker of the Filipino language, you must admit that word-play and association is fascinating in so many ways.
Story by Bryann Lim
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