Pun
Last Sunday was Arbor Day in the Philippines! Did you know that the word for tree in Philippine languages is also a word that means “base” or “principal part”? This is in relation to its structure of having a central trunk that branches out to its outer parts such as leaves and fruits.
PUN • (poon)
(1) base, chief, principal part
(2) tree trunk
Tagálog (Filipino): púnò
Derived Compound
PUN DÚTUNG • (poon DOO-toong)
tree
(dútung = wood)
Tagálog (Filipino): púnò, púnungkáhoy
Derived Word
PÍPUMPÚNAN • (PEE-poom-POO-nuhn)
forefather, forebear
Tagálog (Filipino): ninúnò