April 24, 2024

OUR TITLE TRANSLATES – in English, to: “When will it be?”
YES, AS SEEMINGLY innocent as that; but speakers will agree that: the further and deeper(!) IMPLICATIONS (IMPL) shall readily vary – as applied, in different situation-Examples. Ergo,
OUR FIRST EXAMPLE: A mother saying Pigan to mango? – to a son who is now shifting again to another course – for the 4th time. Her full statements thus:
AYA? MAN SHIFT KA mowan? Pigan to mango? (Transl: “Is that so? You’re shifting again? “When will it be?” [IMPL – when will you know or ‘discover’ which course really fits your tastes, interests, most especially: your ‘academic abilities’?]).
IF SAID MOTHER were a direct-hitting one to her son, maybe her wordings will come somewhat like any – or all, of the following: “son, set your priorities; this is your 4th shifting and let this be your final course?” Or, “it’s time you should think it over: as you shift, you delay your chance to finish your schooling”; et cetera, but
PARENTS WHO WANT to give room for their children: to self-discover and help themselves chart their future will prefer to use
PIGAN TO MANGO? If the child/son/daughter does not ask in return: “What do you mean?”, it should signify to the parent that EXPR Pigan to mango? is presently at-work in the receiving child’s mind – for effect; or else, it has already made some sense to the object offspring – as intended. Our second situation-Example:
A FATHER, MOTHER, or grand-parent(!) – to a son or grandson ‘marriageable’ (equipped for marriage – age, finance, etc.) but still prefers to be yet single. The exact comment – to the child or grand-child:
AYSHI’Y MAHSAS SA kahjem mo nem – Pigan to mango (Transl: “We don’t see any friend, copain[e], etc., with you [IMPL ‘yet’]. – when will it be?” [IMPL – if not now, or soon?]).
IN DIRECT OR casual language, the father/mother is likewise in effect saying:
“WHAT STILL SHALL you wait for?” Or, “Seriously consider that: you’ve been at-age already for some time, you’re now 39 years old?”, or, [the grandfather is saying]
‘I’M NOW VERY old, I long to see your child(ren), my Apo to-be [further IMPL – aren’t you thinking of getting settled finally?’]; and so forth. And now, our third Example:
A VOTER-WISHING other voters like him learn to decipher, detect, and ‘correctly guess’ who’s the fitting aspirant they’ll write on their ballots, come Election Day? Let’s posit one common statement in this regard:
ARA! SAPA-SAPAY KOMA, isulat sha si Polano, pigan to mango? (Transl: “EXPR! wish INTENSIFIER/koma, they’ll write Ms/Mr. So and So, when will it be?” IMPL – they (or we all) have erred in some of our choices in the Past; but this time wish our choices will be more accurate!”).
IN ORDINARY PARLANCE, the speaker is just saying: “Hopefully, other voters shall realize – as I have had: that in this coming Elections, the choices/aspirants we have in-mind shall make good use of our votes, by living up to, and actualizing, our expectations of them!” Ayo, ayo, ino!