CULTURE

Tagalog is an onomatopaeic language because it is able to make fine distinctions in describing things or objects.  Whereas in English there is only one word for rice, Tagalog has many equivalents depending on the existing condition of the rice.  Take a look at the following examples:

• palay - rice seeds with husk, used for planting in the fields
• bigas - harvested rice without husk, uncooked, usually sold in the market
• sinaing - steamed rice
• sinangag - fried rice
• lugaw - boiled rice or congee
• malagkit - sweet sticky rice used for rice cakes
• suman - sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves
• puto - rice cake made from rice flour
• bibingka - rice cake baked with fire on top and at the bottom

Another set of examples is by way of describing the state of objects or things.  Whereas in English the word "broken" simply means that an object is out of order or it is destroyed, in Tagalog, there are specific ways to describe the state of brokenness.  Take a look at the following examples:

• sira - generally, out-of-order or not working anymore, unusable
• basag - broken, specifically applies to fragile objects like glass, bulbs, lamps, vase, china, ceramics, etc.
• biyak - broken into two or more pieces like coconut, vase, plates, etc.
• bali/bakli - broken into two or more pieces like poles, pencils, posts, trees, and other elongated objects or materials; applies also to human and animal body parts such as legs, arms, fingers, bones, etc.
• lamat - cracked, applies to fragile objects like glass, vase, lamps, ceramics and other fragile objects
• durog - pulverized or shattered into smaller pieces
• lamog/bugbog - broken because it was beaten up or was pressed hard
• wasak, warat - destroyed extremely that it cannot be repaired, e.g., toy, car, house
• giba - applies to houses or buildings that were razed or rendered uninhabitable
• gasgas - destroyed because it is scratched, e.g. jewelries and similar precious objects
• pisa/pisat - broken because it was run over or pressed by something bigger and heavier
• punit - torn, used for paper, books, clothes, garment, bag materials
• butas - broken because a hole or holes were created, rendering the object unusable, e.g., cup, glass, basketball, tire, etc.
• panis - spoiled food
• kurtado - spoiled milk and similar products
• sunog - broken because it was burned
• pilay - broken because it was sprained, strained, or a part was amputated or shorter, applies to body parts of humans and animals such as arms, hands, legs, etc.

In general, Tagalog words associate the color of things based on objects that are associated with those colors.  Some examples are: tsokolate (brown, from chocolate); abo (gray, from ash); rosas (red, from roses); orens (orange, from navel); and ube (purple, from purple yam).  One uses the word kulay (color) and attach the object-associated color; thus, kulay abo, kulay rosas, kulay ube.

The same is true with describing shapes (hugis) in Tagalog.  Thus, hugis mansanas (apple-shaped), hugis papaya (papaya-shaped), hugis saging (banana-shaped), hugis coca-cola (coca-cola-shaped), etc.

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