There are many reasons why people borrow words from other languages, and later become their lingua franca. English language, which we have been using in the last 100 years because of the American Colonial Period and today because it is a New Global Prestige, is now Lingua Franca.
Listen to people speaking Tagalog in the streets and you’ll hear many English connectors, Taglish, Codeswitch or sometimes called Collegiate English, Gayspeak or Jejemon Lingo, just look at how English nouns have been transformed into Tagalog verbs, complete with conjugation, (nag-text, nag-internet, nagche-chess).
Language evolves because of cultural contests, people meeting as tourists, traders, and teachers. Whatever one concrete instance are the Filipino Yayas or nannies caring for the children of the world and the OFW’s who required words from the countries where they are working; for instance, the sentence “ Salah Malai Qum” for the Arabic greetings is now a word of mouth of Filipino OFW.
New words used in the Philippines.
1. Telesine, Telenovela, Teleserye
2. Lowbat
3. Missed Call
4. W8 lang
5. Tander-aged person
6. Combo meal
7. Value meal
8. Bottom less
9. Unli (unlimited)
10. Apartels – (Apartment + Hotel)
11. Speaking Dollar
12. Take out / Dine In
Philippine English follows American English standards but because English Language is dynamic, it remains to be alive and dynamic.
By: MRS. GERTRUDES PERIA-GACUTAN | T-1 Samal National High School
