The Oxford English Dictionary announced on Thursday that several Filipino terms and uniquely Filipino usages of common English words are among those included in the latest update of the wordlist.
“Presidentiable”, “barkada” and “balikbayan” have been recognized as part of the “definitive record of the English language.”
OED said the dictionary’s latest update “sees the inclusion of a number of words from the Philippine English as part of our ongoing commitment to recording words from all varities of English, throughout the world.”
“There are new senses of common English words like gimmick to mean ‘a night out with friends’; loanwords from Spanish (like estafa ‘fraud’) and Tagalog like barkada (‘group of friends’); and formations in English that are only used in Philippine English, like carnap (‘to steal a car’) and presidentiable (‘a person who is a likely or confirmed candidate for president’),” the OED said.
OED added that the evidence for these usages are also observed from large Filipino populations in the United States.
Other new words, new descriptions and definitions from Philippine English include the following (quoted verbatim from OED):
barangay (noun): In the Philippines: a village, suburb, or other demarcated neighbourhood; a small territorial and administrative district forming the most local level of government. [First recorded 1840]
balikbayan (noun): A Filipino visiting or returning to the Philippines after a period of living in another country. [1976]
KKB (interjection): ‘Kaniya-kaniyang bayad’, literally ‘each one pays their own’, used especially to indicate that the cost of a meal is to be shared. It can also be used as an adjective. [1987]
high blood: (a) n.colloq. hypertension; (b) adj.Philippine English angry, agitated.
despedida (noun): More fully despedida party. A social event honouring someone who is about to depart on a journey or leave an organization; a going-away party. [1929]
halo-halo (noun): A dessert made of mixed fruits, sweet beans, milk, and shaved ice, typically topped with purple yam, crème caramel, and ice cream. [1922]
sari-sari store (noun): A small neighbourhood store selling a variety of goods. [1925]
utang na loob (noun): A sense of obligation to return a favour owed to someone. [1906]
According to Danica Salazar, a Filipino lexicographer who works as Consultant Editor on the OED, the June 215 update is the “largest single batch” of items from the Philippines “all published at the same time” on the dictionary.
H/T: Inquirer.net
