MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Not widely known is the fact that beyond the commonly heard regional languages, the Philippines harbors a rich tapestry of over 180 native languages and dialects. This linguistic diversity emerges from each indigenous group’s expression of their culture and heritage through words. Consequently, while certain words are commonplace, within every language lie those rare gems that remain unfamiliar, often resonating as the most captivating and melodious to the senses.
The custodians of these languages are none other than Filipino educators, who consistently champion the enchantment embedded in the nation’s manifold languages. In celebration of August, recognized as the Buwan ng Wika or the Month of Language, they have shared their cherished Filipino words that seldom grace everyday conversations. Accompanied by their meanings and corresponding English translations, these words offer a tribute to the beauty of linguistic diversity.
Uswag
(Cebuano/Bisaya) To develop or improve.
Tyron Casumpang, a Humanities and Social Science strand coordinator at the Far Eastern University High School, gave “Uswag” as his first favorite word from the Cebuano/Bisaya language, one of the main tongues spoken in the Visayas. Its English meaning “develop” has no direct translation in Filipino, pagpapaunlad (progress) or pagpapalago (growing an enterprise) would be the nearest.
Alimuom
(Tagalog) Petrichor, a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.
For Tagalog, the main regional base of the national Filipino language, Tyron provided alimuom as his second favorite Filipino word. This poetic term has a direct translation in English, the scientific word “petrichor” or in simpler terms, “vapor.”
Bulaos
(Bulakenyo) A narrow path or walkway leading to another place.
Dr. Marvin Reyes, part of the Department of Language and Literature faculty at San Beda University, described bulaos as a Bulakenyo word for a trail or small alley. Bulakenyo is actually a dialect of Tagalog and Filipino spoken in the Central Luzon province. According to Google Translate, it can also mean “roar” in main Filipino.
Pagbuburo
(Tagalog) Process of fermentation.
Nancy Mari Milate of the O.B. Montessori Center shared the Tagalog term pagbuburo. The process incorporates sugar or salt with water into the food and the absence of oxygen starts the chemical reaction. Filipinos will recognize the root word buro, which also refers to a local dish made by fermenting fish in red yeast rice.
Urong
(Tagalog) To wash the dishes.
Rodolfo Andres, another teacher from the O.B. Montessori Center, explained urong as washing the dishes, glassware, and utensils used in every meal, a second, largely unknown definition that greatly differs from the word’s common usage to mean a retreat. This definition is now only spoken by elder generations of Tagalog speakers to remind the children to clean up after eating.
These five terms merely scratch the surface of an extensive collection of infrequent expressions found within the various Filipino languages. For any unfamiliar word, one can turn to Google Translate, which offers comprehensive support not only for Filipino but also for other languages spoken across the country, including Cebuano and Ilocano, with the potential for even more languages to be incorporated in the future.
