Dear readers,
It is not my intention to alienate you from my work by using terms and phrases other than that from the English language - far from it. Most of us who speak English as a secondary language will find that there are words and phrases that simply defies translation in the English language and we are left with no choice but to use the original terms in order to get our message across.
Some of the terms used in this novel are of Waray origin, all other terms are either Spanish or Tagalog. This was done on purpose in order to convey the local atmosphere of the time and age described. Waray or Waray-waray is a dialect of the Philippines indigenous to the islands of Leyte and Samar and some parts of Bicol particularly in the Matnog area.
Al bajo de campana - SP. literally 'to the sound of the (church) bell. A scheme during the Spanish era when houses were required to be within hearing distance of the bell.
Azucarera - SP. sugarcane plantation or field
Añao or anyaw - W. neighbor
Biko - a food made of brown sticky rice and coconut milk
Binatá - W. see Kasambahay
Binunot - W. coconut husk
Bungto - W. town proper
Kadaragan-an - W. pl of daraga, young woman
Karabao - W. Carabao, a water buffalo (Latin:
Kartero - Tag. Mailman
Kalubi-an - W. coconut plantation, a land planted with coconuts
Kasambahay - Tag. taken from kasama sa bahay literally meaning household companion or help. This term was coined to replace the word servant or helper both of which give negative connotations. The original Waray term is 'binatá' meaning helper or errand boy or girl.
Lola - Tag. grandmother
Lolo - Tag. grandfather
Manghod - W. younger sibling (neutral gender)
Mano - W. Elder (an honorific reserved to an older man), female: Mana
Merienda - midday snack
Maupay nga kulop - W. Good afternoon, a standard greeting.
Misa - Sp. mass
Misa de Gallo - Sp.
Olitawo - young man, pl. Kaulitaw-han
Pag-ulot - a mode of travelling upstream in a boat during the Spanish era to the late 1950's when travellers from Ibabao (modern day Eastern Samar particularly Can-avid) going to Samar Ilaya (modern day Northern Samar) would traverse the Can-avid River (originally Jubasan, then Ulot River) starting from the Pueblo of Paric (located in Sitio Paric now a Barrio of Can-avid Eastern Samar).
Palauan - a root crop
Pan de sal - bread of salt, a staple for breakfast in most households
Patud - cousin (neutral gender)
Provincia - province
Pueblo - the equivalent of the modern day municipality or town.
Sangkay - friend (neutral gender) , pl Kasangkayan (friends)
Santol - wild mangosteen
YOU ARE READING
In April Nights Past
Roman pour AdolescentsThis is for Joana Marie C.S. and that curious time, years and years ago, that we became friends. Unlike those around me, I only have one summer to remember. I remember it because on that one summer that I was only was sixteen, somebody taught me how...
