DIBSHI, DELIKARO, SIGURADO, nan erasho, deperensiya, sentil mo, pwera di, nai puwesha, et cetera, are all ‘regular’ (daily-used) words and/or EXPRESSIONS/EXPR of Nabaloi (for the language; Ibaloi, for the people – as earlier advocated and Quod Erat Demonstrandum, or Q.E.D or =int “As was/have been demonstrated”). Yes, you hear these Nabaloi terms among – or in everyday conversations with – Ibalois.
[SO-CALLED ‘MINORITIES’ THEY are, but due perhaps to the indomitable character of pioneerism and new-farmland discoveries, you find (this Contemporary) Nabaloi-speaking ‘group’ in eight – out of 13 – towns of Benguet Province; in Nueva Vizcaya particularly in many areas of the towns of Kayapa, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Kasibu, etc.; and in Nueva Ecija – especially in Caranglaan, ‘heavily’ in Capintalan.
[THEY’RE ALSO FOUND in Palawan – in Narra; and in Mindanao – especially in Midsayap and Valencia, Bukidnon; as well as in some other small area concentrations. In 2004 or so, the MAKNIBA (Maksil ni Ibaloi) – for the second time, went there to attend their (Mindanao Ibalois’) Adivai in Kidapawan City. One of said Makniba members/elders – the late Wallace Woolery (GRhs, God Rest his soul) reported to us here in Baguio after coming back, that he was able to list ‘200 families’; and further, another member/elder BSU Prof. Myrna Sison said “they still speak there our Nabaloi – though they use other languages like: Bisaya, Tagalog, Bagobo, etc., when out from home”. And now going back to or terms and/or EXPRs. These were just picked out vorhanden or ‘at-hand’: no specific classification nor criteria. So, at random or randomly – as one listener would experience (and at intervals – in a conversation stream).. hearing and further ‘recognizing’ such terms or EPRs as: ‘very Nabaloi’ but (maybe) also Spanish – or from other language ‘influences’. Let’s take them now, item by item.
DIBSHI =INT “free”, both adj. and noun, as in: Dibshin buya, “free viewing”; or Dibshi ka mad awas, “you’re now (a) free(man) outside” [e.g.. this cell].
ANALYZING THE WORD however, you’ll tend to identify it with a Spanish ‘parallel’: libre, which means in English “free”. Question is: is Dibshi indeed a ‘parallel’ – or a derived-one, from Spanish libre? You see,
THE NEIGHBOUR-LANGUAGES of Nabaloi, viz. Iluko, Pangasinan, Tagalog just use libre – as Spanishly pronounced and spelled, in original Castellano. Next Nabaloi term is
DELIKARO =INT Nab. “dangerous”, adj. as in: Delikaro itan [pointing to something near-the-speaker], “Dangerous that is.”
LIKE NABALOI, HOWEVER, the languages using Delikaro, delikado, etc., only ‘relates’ to the real meaning and use of the Spanish term which is delicada =int “delicense, delicate, dainty-limbed, et cetera.
SIGURADO =INT Nab. “secured”, or “certain”, or “sure”, as in: Eg mahkhas, (nai) sigurado (“It won’t drop, it is secured”). or Sigurado n eg on donkey (“It is certain/sure it won’t sag”).
IF WE POSIT that this term is of Spanish ‘ring’ or influence, it must be convincingly evident that Nabaloi – and/or thru its neighbour – Philippine languages, ‘got’ it from the Spanish asegurar, to secure, whose past-participle is asegurado, i.e. ‘secured’. Our next term
NAN ERASHO =INT Nab. “have erred”, as in Nan erasho ni insel to. (“He/she erred in his/her declarations”). Cf. the rr sound-shifts to Nabaloi sh.
MUST BE FROM Spanish errado, pp. or errare, “to err” (note 1: same verb and usage in Latin, thus: ego erro, I err”). This observation is amplified by the fact that there is an equivalent, ‘native’ alternate viz. nan kamali. [note 2: most or many Spanish terms derive originally from Latin).
DEPERENSIYA =INT Nab. “Unlike..”, or “It’s not the same”, or “It is a different case if, with~” as in: Deperensiya noman no khait ngo (“Unlike when CONC he/she is a fellow-/Khait EXPR”).
MUST BE DOVETAILING from the Spanish meaning of diferente, “different, differing, etc.”; but the Nabaloi Usage lends more to the related derivation of diferenciado, i.e. “not in accord” or no estar de acuerdo. Next term
SENTIL MO! = INT Nab. “Return the regard!” or “Attend to.. (it)”, etc., as in: Sentil mo ima bisitam! (“Attend to your visitor!”).
DEEPLY-CLAIMED BY some speakers and analysts(!) as ‘natively-Nabaloi’, but we’re proposing its ‘derivation’ or influence from the Spanish Sentir or Latin Sentire, “to feel, to sense – same meaning in both languages (cf. Supra). Next
PWERA DI =INT Nab. “Let that/it not: come here/befall us/affect us”. As in: Pwera di y ali alin! (“Let that/it not affect us!”)
VERY RELATED TO the Spanish fuera, “out, outside, away, abroad, without”; or may even be ‘adopted’ from Sp. Fuera de, “outside, out of, save for”. Finally, the EXPRESSION/EXPR
NAI PUWESHA =INT Nab. “rendered ‘distanced’, exempted, etc.” as in: Nai puwesha kad distaan! (“You were rendered exempted from the list!”).
THE R-SOUND SOUND-SHIFTING to sh, this EXPR still connects with the earlier-cited Spanish fuera (note: Supra and cf. Latin auferte, from which relates the Spanish afuera = [same meaning] “outside, away, and so on”. So,
HOW MUCH WESTERN (e.g. Spanish and/from Latin) languages have ‘influenced’ – or ‘enriched’(?) Nabaloi and other Philippine languages, this Discussion is just a sample or window to our realizations. Ayuhh kha nete!
April 20, 2024
