Republic of the Philippines
University of Eastern Philippines
GRADUATE STUDIES
University Town, Northern Samar
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, PLEASE?
(A Self-Authored Article
on Filipinisms)
In partial fulfillment of
the requirements in the course
Language and Literature 807
(Structure of English)
Submitted by:
MARK P. BONABON
MALL 2
Submitted to:
Prof. VILLA C. CARPIO, DALT
Course Professor
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, PLEASE?
by Mark P. Bonabon
Basically, I am no renowned linguist to sound like
well-versed on this stuff. I am just a greenhorn English
teacher, and thus still have to take a good fill and feel of
the English language. I only wish to share with you a little
of my minds fill, and a lot of its vacuity.
Actually, I have just committed a language faux pas, a
Filipinism,
at
the
very
beginning
of
the
preceding
paragraph. See how incompetent I am? The adverb, basically,
as it is used above may not sound quite right to a native
English speaker. Basically became a well-adapted expression
of Filipino English speakers which usually functions like a
filler or hesitator.
How shameless writer I am! So, do you still mind if you
carry on reading? If your answer is affirmative, and indeed
intends to read on, you are committing another blunder.
Saying
yes
would
mean
that
its
only
waste
of
your
precious time perusing this article. Your response should
have been No, not at all or No, I dont mind at all.
Well, I ask you an apology for my candidness. What? Do
you notice that Im getting worse with my semantics? Here is
the thing. If I ask you an apology, it means that you have
wronged me, and not the other way around. Its logical and
lucid version should appear like I apologize to you or I
should make an apology.
Am I making sense? By the way, why should we make such
a big fuss about this issue? Fool may I be to answer my own
question, but here it goes: Filipinisms or loosely termed,
Philippine
English
is
bastardization
of
language
(English) or an indigenization of it according to Walter
Ang in his article, 8 Instances of Filipino English vs.
American English. Moreover, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defined bastardize as to reduce from a higher to a lower
state
or
condition,
indigenous
and
indigenize,
characteristics.
to
Talking
cause
to
have
about
the
bastardization of the English language, the worlds lingua
franca, is definitely a gargantuan problem especially to
language purists or prescriptive grammarians. Indigenization
of
the
English
attributed
to
language,
the
on
the
first-language
other
hand,
interference
may
be
which
is
manifested through transliteration or verbatim translation
in English of a Filipino term (e. g., open the light is a
transliteration of buksan ang ilaw). Indigenization may
not
sound
as
bad
as
bastardization
but
both
connote
something unwholesome about Filipinos. So now, is this issue
not
crucially
detrimental
to
the
Pinoys
professional
reputation as good speakers of the English tongue?
Hence, to minimize the use or to get rid of Filipinisms
altogether, lets peruse a roster of them below taken from
the anonymous article, Using Filipinisms: A Native English
Speakers Pet Peeve published online on June 5, 2013.
FILIPINISM
WHY ITS WRONG
ITS BETTER TO SAY
Free
subscription of
Preposition use
Free subscription to
Its for free
Inappropriate word
use (for)
Its free. / Its free
of charge. / Were
sending it to you for
free.
Hold your
line/For a
while
Sounds absurd (Hold
your line), Caller
would expect a
longer waiting time
(for a while)
Would you mind if I
put you on hold for a
second? / Please hold
Open/close (for
appliances,
Its like referring
office
to an item for
equipment and
repair
lights)
Turn on/off
Yes, Ill
Confusing mainly
No, not at all. / No,
wait. (in
because of the YES I dont mind at all.
response to Do
word
you mind
waiting?)
Anything?
Sounds vague
Ill ask her an
Confusing/illogical
apology.
Is there anything I
can do for you? / How
may I help you?
Ill apologize to her.
/ I should make an
apology.
Tuck out
Term not recognized
in American/British
English
Untuck
He was
salvaged.
Misuse of the word
salvaged, which
means saving
something from being
destroyed
He was assassinated.
She delivered
her baby
yesterday.
Subject-verb
confusion
She had her baby
yesterday. / Dr. Smith
delivered her baby.
Oppositor
Term not recognized
in American/British
English
Opposition member
Hand carry
Term not recognized
in American/British
English
Carry-on luggage
Its traffic
today.
Misuse of the word
traffic
Traffic is heavy.
Senatoriable
Term not recognized
in American/British
English
Senatorial candidate
I failed in
accent
training.
Inappropriate use of
in
I failed accent
training.
Pass by my
office before
you go.
Inappropriate word
choice (pass)
Drop by my office
before you go.
We have one
participant
only.
Redundant term (one
only)
We have one
participant.
Misplaced adverb,
I talked to her used as filler and
already.
talked sounds too
informal
Actually
Word should be used to
explain a
justification of a
Commonly used
different thought or a
filler, or used as known fact The boss
an answer to replace
is actually very
yes
lenient. / Nobody
knows what actually
caused the fight at
the party.
As per Paul,
all request
Incomplete sentence
forms should be
signed by him.
Sewer
I already spoke with
her. / I have already
spoken to her.
Term not recognized
As per Pauls
instructions, all
request forms should
be signed by him.
Tailor (male) or
in American/British
English
Thank you for Sounds confusing and
that/this one.
impolite
seamstress (female)
Thank you for the
information. / Thank
you.
Currently, I
live there
right now.
Redundant
(currently and
right now)
Currently, I live
there. / I live there
right now.
Bottomless
Term not recognized
in American/British
English
Refillable
C.R. / comfort
room
Word not found in
the English
dictionary
restroom, powder
room, bathroom, shower
room, toilet
Fall in line
Term not recognized
in American/British
English
Get into line / Line
up / Make a line
Fll up this
form
Fill up means
pouring something
until completely
filled
Fill out this form
Where are you
studying?
Word choice
(studying) is too
casual
Where do you go to
school? / What school
do you go to?
Could you
Redundant (repeat Could you repeat that?
repeat that
and again),
again, please? inappropriate use of
please in a
sentence that is
obviously a command
Therefore, when an acquaintance would ask me, Where
are you studying?, I would reply, Usually, in my room, and
rarely
in
the
library.
Preposterous
highbrow!
But
Im
afraid that somebody would accuse me of committing a heinous
language crime called Filipinism if I would say, At the
University of Eastern Philippines. Or else, to get rid of
that
insolent
air,
and
to
give
him
all
the
chances
to
rephrase his question (because he may realize he is using
Filipinism), I may inadvertently utter with a mellow voice,
Could you repeat the question again, please? What? Im
even more foolish! If committing a grammar blunder were
tantamount to receiving a severe punishment, my friend might
get a reclusion perpetua, and I would surely get a death
penalty!
