Kapampangan Words

Kaladua  November 2 is All Souls’ Day and the 2nd day of Dáun. It is a day of prayer and remembrance for the souls of our departed loved ones. Kapampángans have a special view of the “twin soul”, and this is possibly a reflection of its origin from the root word for “two”. KALADUÂ • … Read more

Sabadu It’s the last Saturday of the month! How do you say “Saturday” in your language? SÁBADU • (SAH-buh-doo)SaturdayTagálog (Filipino): Sábado EtymologyFrom Spanish sábado (“Saturday”) You may want to read: Biernis

Lintik This Kapampángan word for “drizzle” looks very similar to a Tagálog word that has a different meaning and usage! LINTIK • (lin-TIK)drizzle, light rainTagálog (Filipino): ambón Lintik: Kapampángan vs. TagálogIn Kapampángan, “lintik” means “drizzle”. In Tagálog, “lintík” means “lightning” and is a mild curse used for damnation. For example, “Lintík kang háyop ka!” means … Read more

Kapampángan Food FeatureGatas Tigri (“Tiger Milk”) Not using tiger’s milk, this dish is prepared by mixing water with cooked rice and sprinkling it with salt. It is often served with tuyû (“dried salted fish”). This very simple dish is considered a Kapampángan poor man’s meal for those who cannot afford carabao’s milk (gatas damulag) commonly … Read more

Ulimo It’s International Tiger Day! An older word in Kapampángan borrowed from Malay that historically referred to tigers or other ferocious beasts is now a word that means “monster”, while the more common modern word for “tiger” comes from Spanish and gives name to a poor man’s dish! ULÍMÓ • (oo-LEE-moh)monster, beast (historically, any ferocious … Read more