Samba
Kapampángans are known to be very religious, so much that there’s two separate but similar root words for “worship” and “going to church / hearing Mass” in Kapampángan!
SAMBA • (suhm-BUH)
to worship
Tagálog (Filipino): sambá
SIMBA • (sim-BUH)
to go to church, to hear Mass
Tagálog (Filipino): simbá
Christmas Culture Feature
SIMBANG BÉNGI
(literally “night Mass”)
a series of nine nightly or dawn Masses from December 16 to 24 in anticipation of Christmas
Etymology
Kapampángan also gained a few loans from the languages of Mainland Southeast Asia.
“Sambá” comes from Old Khmer saṃbaḥ ~ sambaḥ (Khmer សំពះ (sɑmpĕəh) “to salute by placing both hands together”), via Old Javanese sĕmbah and Malay sembah (“obeisance; gesture of worship or homage”).
Derived word:
PISAMBAN • (pi-suhm-BUHN)
church
Tagálog (Filipino): simbáhan
Verb conjugation:
samba, sásamba, sínamba – to worship (actor focus)
samban, sasamban, sinamba – to worship (object focus)
simba, sísimba, sínimba – to go to church, to hear mass (actor focus)
Example sentence:
Simbá támu ngéning béngi. [Kap]
Magsísimba táyo ngayóng gabí. [Tag]
We will go to church tonight. [Eng]
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