Kapampangan Words

Galamanu The last Thursday of June is National Handshake Day! How do you say “handshake” in your language? GALAMÁNU • (guh-luh-MAH-noo)handshakeTagálog (Filipino): pagkamáy (root word: kamáy “hand”) EtymologyFrom Spanish da la mano (“shake hands”) Verb Conjugationgumalamánu, gágalamánu, gínalamánu – to shake hands (Actor Focus)galamanuan, gagalamanuan, gélamanuan – to shake the hands of someone (Object Focus) … Read more

Limbulan What’s your Limbúlan sign? From our Kapampángan Religious Syncretism post last November, there was a preview of this special concept that I’ve come up with as a synthesis of the Kapampángan Words page. And now finally, here’s an introduction to Limbúlan, a modern Kapampángan zodiac featuring seasonal symbols of Kapampángan culture! You may want … Read more

Alipatpat It’s World Fire Fly Day! How do you say “firefly” in your language? Fireflies are most commonly seen during the summer months of the Northern Hemisphere, but these insects can be spotted lighting up the night all year round in rural areas of the Philippines! ALIPATPAT • (uh-li-puht-PUHT)fireflyTagálog (Filipino): alitaptáp Verb Conjugationlípatpat, lílipatpat, línipatpat … Read more

Kanta vs. Dalit Kanta is the general Kapampángan and Tagalog word for “song” and “to sing”. It comes from the Spanish canta which is a conjugated form of cantar “to sing”. Dalit is a more traditional Kapampángan word that refers to native folk songs and religious songs. For example, the book of Psalms in the … Read more

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 … Read more