Kapampangan Words

Taklang Batuin A bright and flashy Christmas is a highlight (pun intended) of Kapampángan culture, and the City of San Fernando is considered the Christmas Capital of the Philippines with its giant lanterns! The star of the festivities—the parúl (which originates from Pampanga)—is iconically star-shaped. BATUIN • (buh-TWIN)starTagálog (Filipino): bituín Example sentence:Kórtí lang batuin ding … Read more

An aginaldu refers to either a boxed gift or usually, a monetary gift given to children by their godparents during the holidays. The money is usually given as fresh new bills placed inside Chinese red envelopes! AGINÁLDU • (uh-gih-NAHL-doo)Christmas gift, Christmas moneyTagálog (Filipino): agináldo Etymology“Agináldu” comes from the Spanish word aguinaldo which refers to a … Read more

Muli Pamanuli by Arti Sta. Rita] Christmas is a time of going home to the provinces or hometowns for many Filipinos, and for Kapampángans, an image that usually comes to mind is the Christmas illuminations that line the highways of Pampanga on the way home. MÚLÎ • (MOO-lee’)to go home, come homeRoot Word: úlîTagálog (Filipino): … Read more

Tamalis or Bobotu This Kapampángan holiday dish is known by two names which reflect the intersection of two foreign influences on Kapampángan language, culture, and cuisine. One of its names is even associated with voting due to its similarity to the Kapampángan word for “vote”! TAMÁLIS • (tuh-MAH-lis) or BÓBÓTU • (BOH-BOH-too) a Kapampángan dish … Read more

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, clarityTagálog (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. … Read more