Most Filipinos are multilingual; we know our mother tongue, Filipino, and English. When I was taking calls, some customers would ask what language we speak, I tell them that most Filipinos are multilingual. They find it amazing. Only lately did I realize too that it is such a marvel.
Although, things in my head get mixed up and I arrive at conclusions as to what that word means only to realize later on it's so, so, so impossible to mean that way. My impression of the word is sometimes based solely on how it sounds based on the other languages I know.
Here's a list of a couple of my misconceptions that I admit is pretty confusing in hindsight.
1. Brochures and Binoculars - When I was younger, I used to refer to binoculars as 'telescopes'. I supposed I picked that one up from my playmates. Then, much later on, I learned that it's supposed to be 'binoculars'. So far, so good, right? Somewhere though, I read the word brochure, and just like that, I thought brochure was a synonym of binoculars. I don't know how I made the association, but I associated all right. It must be all the similar letters in the words. It went like that for quiet some time until my English high school teacher told me what it really meant. Thank goodness, somebody said something.
2. Himus (Sebuano) adj. - Apparently, it means cute. It was my college roommate who introduced the word. Initially, it didn't really sound like it meant cute. I associated it with 'timus', an insect that lays eggs in your ears and in the female genitalia, says my high school classmate (whom I now suspect to be some sort of a sexual pervert because she likes to tell such stories. I hope she doesn't stumble upon this blog.) It took me quiet some time to wrap my head around himus. Now, I use it regularly. Although sometimes, I can still hear my classmate's sinister whisper.
3. Kahindik-hindik (Tagalog) adj. - I hear this in the news all the time, and I suppose it means gruesome basing on the context of its usage. When I did not know any better, I thought it means to prick something. I learned most of my Tagalog from Batibot, and they don't exactly say these kinds of things. I came around though. It does mean gruesome, right?
4. Sibya (Sebuano) verb - It means to announce. This word I learned recently. I have a friend who keeps saying this word. I was asked my opinion on whether to make sibya or not to sibya so I could not weasel my way out of it and I wasn't listening so I really couldn't be your Word-Sherlock. Instead of pretending to understand what it meant, I did the right thing and asked outright. My friend obliged and explained what it meant. I told her it sounds like one of my childhood nicknames: Sibyang. She laughed and told me I always had a funny look in my face whenever she uses that word.
There's quiet a lot where these come from. The consolation is I can still swear in three different languages no problem, and I know I am not alone. My friends have had their fair share of misjudging some, of that I'm pretty sure. Well, note to self, I better download a dictionary app.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
