Word analysis 101
For Filipinos, there are certain words in one dialect that has a different meaning in another dialect. Here’s an example of an overheard Visayan/Tagalog conversations at a kitchen sink in a recent Filipino gathering:
“Paano ba ito ma si-ra?”
“Ay di yan sira, high tech lang talaga.”
Upon hearing their conversations, I couldn’t help but giggle in silence as I tried to avoid looking at their direction. Why was I secretly laughing? If their conversation was transliterated into English, their conversation would go like this:
“How does this thing turns off?”
“Oh that’s not broken, it’s just high tech.”
Yes they sound funny.
Still trying to constrain myself, I continued to listen. Nobody talked but there was a little commotion at the sink then the water stopped flowing. Finally, a little gesture helped solve the problem.
I did not tell any one at the party about the incident nevertheless I thought of sharing it in my blog. Not because I want to make fun of them but I learned a lesson, too.
Both women were referring on one thing - faucet. And both were correct but differed only on how it was communicated. Confused? Here's how it went ...
The first woman had washed her hands yet couldn’t figure out how to turn off the faucet properly. Instead of saying masara (to turn off) in Tagalog, her Visayan tongue slipped away. Si-ra in Visayan means to turn off.
On the other hand, the second woman, who does not speak Visayan thought the first woman referred it as broken. Sira in Tagalog means broken or out-of-order. She owns the place thus she was trying to explain to the first woman that it’s just a modern kind of faucet and would only need a little twist.
In the same way, sometimes we are like those two women at the kitchen sink. We perceive things differently because of our different backgrounds. If not properly analyzed, conversations can create different meanings and will need damage control later on. Fortunately in their case, actions speak louder than words thus the two women were able to settle everything amicably.
Looking back, I think I should have told the two women about my analyses...
But for now, all is well that ends well.
“Paano ba ito ma si-ra?”
“Ay di yan sira, high tech lang talaga.”
Upon hearing their conversations, I couldn’t help but giggle in silence as I tried to avoid looking at their direction. Why was I secretly laughing? If their conversation was transliterated into English, their conversation would go like this:
“How does this thing turns off?”
“Oh that’s not broken, it’s just high tech.”
Yes they sound funny.
Still trying to constrain myself, I continued to listen. Nobody talked but there was a little commotion at the sink then the water stopped flowing. Finally, a little gesture helped solve the problem.
I did not tell any one at the party about the incident nevertheless I thought of sharing it in my blog. Not because I want to make fun of them but I learned a lesson, too.
Both women were referring on one thing - faucet. And both were correct but differed only on how it was communicated. Confused? Here's how it went ...
The first woman had washed her hands yet couldn’t figure out how to turn off the faucet properly. Instead of saying masara (to turn off) in Tagalog, her Visayan tongue slipped away. Si-ra in Visayan means to turn off.
On the other hand, the second woman, who does not speak Visayan thought the first woman referred it as broken. Sira in Tagalog means broken or out-of-order. She owns the place thus she was trying to explain to the first woman that it’s just a modern kind of faucet and would only need a little twist.
In the same way, sometimes we are like those two women at the kitchen sink. We perceive things differently because of our different backgrounds. If not properly analyzed, conversations can create different meanings and will need damage control later on. Fortunately in their case, actions speak louder than words thus the two women were able to settle everything amicably.
Looking back, I think I should have told the two women about my analyses...
But for now, all is well that ends well.
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