The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
BURILIUS / BURÍLYUS • (boo-REE-lyoos)local flagellum or whip made of bundled cylindrical bamboo rodsTagálog (Filipino): bulyós EtymologyFrom Spanish buríos (burillos in Honduras), plural of burío (burillo in Honduras), a Central American tree (Heliocarpus appendiculatus) from which ropes are made from its bark. You may want to read: Palaspas
The famous Lenten rites of San Fernando where penitents are nailed on the cross originate from this play staged every Holy Week depicting the Passion of Christ. SINÁKULU • (sih-NAH-koo-loo)Passion play, a Filipino dramatization of the life, suffering, and death of Jesus ChristTagálog (Filipino): senákulo EtymologySpanish cenáculo “cenacle, room in Jerusalem traditionally held to be … Read more
Crucifixion Bottles18th century Spanish missionaries introduced folk art in the form of crucifixion bottles to the Philippines. At the start of the 20th century, tradition has it that Bilibid prisoners were made to construct these as part of their rehabilitation. The idea was while passing the hours, skillfully putting together the minuscule pieces inside a … Read more
Happy Siblings Day! Did you know that in several Philippine languages, the word for “sibling” is related to the word for “cut off, break off, sever”? This implies these languages’ shared view of siblings as “being of the same cut”. KAPATAD • (kuh-puh-TUHD)siblingRoot Word: patad “(to be) cut off, severed”Tagálog (Filipino): kapatíd (root: patíd “cut … Read more
In Kapampángan, the words for “life” and “give” are pronounced exactly the same! However, they are not related and come from different origins! BIÉ • (byeh)lifeTagálog (Filipino): búhay BIÉ • (byeh)(to) giveTagálog (Filipino): bigáy Etymology and Sound ChangesThe words for “life” and “give” in Kapampángan are pronounced exactly the same (bié); however, they are not … Read more