Another twin-word pair! Did you know that Kapampángan has two words for light which distinguish between natural and artificial light?
SÁLÂ • (SAH-la’)
light (radiant source; natural), brightness, clarity
Tagálog (Filipino): liwánag
SULÛ • (soo-LOO’)
light (point source; artificial)
Tagalog (Filipino): ílaw
Usage notes
“Sálâ” is used for natural and very radiant sources of light, such as sunlight and moonlight.
“Sulû” is used for artificial and point sources of light, such as indoor lighting or stars.
Derived word:
MASÁLÂ
bright, clear
Tagálog (Filipino): maliwánag
Verb conjugation:
sumálâ, sásálâ, sínálâ – to brighten, clear up (actor focus)
súlû, súsulû, sínulû – to light up (actor focus)
suluánan, susuluánan, siluánan – to light, illuminate (object focus)
Example sentence:
Orian na reng sulung kurap-kurap, mágdalá lang sala at túlâ. [Kap]
Ayán na ang mgá ílaw na kumúkurap-kurap, nagdádala silá ng liwánag at tuwâ. [Tag]
There they are, the blinking lights; they’re bringing brightness and joy.
Note: These are lyrics of the theme song of “Liglígan Parúl” or the Giant Lantern Festival.
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