Taglish

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Taglish, a portmanteau of the words "Tagalog" and "English," is an informal dialect of Tagalog, in the Philippines, that is infused with English terms. Taglish is perhaps most common in Metro Manila, where its use has become stereotype. Its influence has nevertheless become great, as it is now arguably a lingua franca in many parts of the country. Akin to Taglish is Englog, which in turn is an English infused with Filipino words, a popular type being called Coño English or Konyo English.

An intriguing aspect of Taglish is the fact that any English verb, and even some nouns, can be converted into a Tagalog verb by following the normal verb tense constructions of Tagalog. This is done usually by the addition of one or more prefixes or infixes and by the doubling of the starting sound of the base form of the verb or noun. The English verb drive can be transformed into the Tagalog magda-drive meaning, "will drive". The English noun Internet can be converted into the Tagalog nag-Internet, meaning "have used the Internet" or even "have logged-on into the Internet".

Taglish is often employed in many the homes of many Filipinos living in the United States, the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. It is a form of code-switching, and is often used by parents when talking to their children who were raised in the US.

Tagalog: "Natapos mo na ba yung gawaing bahay mo?"

Taglish: "Natapos mo na ba yung homework mo?"

English: "Have you finished your homework?"

English words in Taglish are sometimes written in Tagalog phonetic spelling. In some cases, English words in Tagalog spelling, such as kompyuter (computer), dyim (gym), siyampu (shampoo) and magasin (magazine), make it into the Tagalog lexicon. An example is shown below:

Tagalog: ''"Pakitawag ang tsuper."

Taglish: "Pakitawag ang drayber."

English: Please call the driver.

Taglish reflects the evolution of Tagalog and the inevitable infusion of English words. Taglish may even reflect the infusion of English words borrowed from other languages, such as "kudeta" (coup d'etat). Despite existing classical words in the language, speakers habitually substitute the English word instead. For example, 'Can you explain it to me?' can be said in the classical Tagalog way as 'Maaring ipaunawa mo sa akin?' or 'Pwedeng ipaliwanag mo sa akin?'. Instead speakers nowadays say 'Pwedeng i-explain mo sa akin?'. Or for example, the word magmamaneho is the Tagalog equivalent of will drive, but magda-drive is more popular.

Taglish also applies to speech wherein adjacent clauses are either English or Tagalog. The conjunctions used to connect the clauses can come from either language.

Some examples:

Magsya-shopping ako sa mall mamaya.

I will shop at the mall later.

Na-print mo na ba ang report?

Have you printed the report?

Mag-LRT ka papuntang school.

Use the LRT (the Manila Light Rail Transit System) in going to school.

I went to school, kaso wala pa palang pasok.

... but there weren't any classes.

Nahihiya sila na mag-ask ng favor from you, kasi/kase/k'se hindi mo na trabaho ito.

They are shy (here meaning "uncomfortable" or "uneasy") about asking favors from you, because it is no longer your responsibility.

NOTE: /ka·sé/ is the direct pronunciation of kasi for many (but not all) people, and it is sometimes used in writing for easy reading.

Taglish

See also