Kapampangan Words

Pasiun The most significant piece of Philippine literature that is featured during Holy Week is the Pasiun/Pasyon, an epic of Christ’s Passion written in the different languages of the Philippines and chanted solemnly throughout the Holy Week. PASIUN / PASYUN • (puh-SHOON)a Kapampángan / Filipino epic narrative of Christ’s Passion that is chanted during the … Read more

Mayap Did you know that one of the Kapampángan words for “good” is related to “health” or “wellness”? MÁYAP • (MAH-yuhp)good, well, nice (intrinsically/morally)Root: áyapContraction: mápTagálog (Filipino): mabúti (good, not bad/evil), magandá (“beautiful”, used for greetings) Noun FormKÁYAP • (KAH-yuhp)(1) goodness (physical and moral)(2) wellness, health; (to) healRoot: áyapContraction: kápTagálog (Filipino): (1) kabutíhan (“goodness”, root: … Read more

BURILIUS / BURÍLYUS • (boo-REE-lyoos)local flagellum or whip made of bundled cylindrical bamboo rodsTagálog (Filipino): bulyós EtymologyFrom Spanish buríos (burillos in Honduras), plural of burío (burillo in Honduras), a Central American tree (Heliocarpus appendiculatus) from which ropes are made from its bark. You may want to read: Palaspas

The famous Lenten rites of San Fernando where penitents are nailed on the cross originate from this play staged every Holy Week depicting the Passion of Christ. SINÁKULU • (sih-NAH-koo-loo)Passion play, a Filipino dramatization of the life, suffering, and death of Jesus ChristTagálog (Filipino): senákulo EtymologySpanish cenáculo “cenacle, room in Jerusalem traditionally held to be … Read more

Happy Siblings Day! Did you know that in several Philippine languages, the word for “sibling” is related to the word for “cut off, break off, sever”? This implies these languages’ shared view of siblings as “being of the same cut”. KAPATAD • (kuh-puh-TUHD)siblingRoot Word: patad “(to be) cut off, severed”Tagálog (Filipino): kapatíd (root: patíd “cut … Read more