Language and....

Something that fascinated me, and I believe Tim with his language abilities was fascinated as well, was the information regarding languages at the National Museum.   I just wish I could learn languages easily.   I also wish I could remember some of what I read about at the museum of the first language (s) being written down.

I don’t remember what the museum stated as the number of languages, but I read elsewhere that depending upon the method of classification there are between 120 and 175 languages in the Philippines.   The eight major ones are:  Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Hiligaynon, and Samarnon.

English is the official language, but the national language is Filipino, based on Tagalog.    Filipino and English are the languages of instruction in schools.    English s the most widely used foreign language in the Philippines, which makes sense from all those years of American influence.

www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=PH

Historically, the Spanish decreed back in the 1800’s that all Filipinos use a Spanish surname.  In fact, in many towns the people bear last names starting with the same letter of the alphabet.  The Spaniards allocated surnames  by town, so surnames starting with the letter “A” were reserved for people in the capital.  Outlying towns received surnames starting with subsequent letters, which made it easy to identify a person and trace his municipal origins.

The choice of first names was dictated by a person’s birthdate—naming a baby after the saint whose feast day fell on the child’s birthday.

The Filipinos talk with their body.   Most noticeable is the upward nod of the head and quick lift of the eyebrows to say hello or yes or even indicate a question.   I was beginning to lift my eyebrows by the end of my three weeks in the Philippines!

Our team members were often greeting by children with the gesture of respect where they put the back of our (the older person’s) hand  on their forehead.  

  Relatives and friends often greet each other with a cheek-to-cheek greeting.  This reminded me of Middle Eastern greetings of a kiss to each cheek.   Often a hand shake does, especially for people of the opposite sex when first meeting.

Staring can be a gesture of hostility, as can standing with arms akimbo.     One will say “excuse me” and bow with hand in front when needing to pass between two people in conversation.   This I have also seen with the Hmong and Mienh.  To get someone’s attention, one does not shout or point a finger, but make eye contact and signal with a nod or with the hand, palm facing down.

Everything is done with a smile.

Music is important.   They enjoy singing and learn to play various instruments.   The youth who came alongside and helped us in Bogo City had  music downloaded on their phones to listen to—often Western songs.     The youth at New Life  Community Church did a cool puppet show to a Western song; and did a nicely choreographed dance to another song.

The buses I rode on had lots of music playing—both English older songs, but also Filipino songs.