April 25, 2024

THE WORD BAHALA.. and its concomitant phrases and EXPR~ (Expressions) must be from Tagalog where we can find its clear and adept use as in:
1) AKO ANG BAHALA! (“I’ll take care of it!”); 2) Ikaw n asana ang bahala diyan? (“WISH you take care of things there?); 3) Bahala ka (sa buhay mo)! (“Your life, your own lookout!”). No,
[NOT THE EXPR 4) Bahala na! (“come what may!”) this time: it will be too ‘spicy’ for today’s discussion and with too many meanings and translations e.g. a) “I’m in it, are you ‘in’ too?” or, b) “Danger is perceived, but we have to risk!” or c) “If others were able, we can too!” d) et cetera.].
THE NABALOI ‘APPROXIMATE’ for the Tagalog Bahala.. would be either: x) maxa-amta (the one ‘who knows’; or, ‘who’ll be responsible’; or, ‘who’ll take care of it’, and so on; OR, y) Ulay to~ (“Hoping~” [but not ascertaining]. So that
FOR THE ABOVE Tagalog EXPRs respectively-rendered in Nabaloi, we have:
1) Si-kak da y maxa-amta!; 2) Ulay to ka koma ngo la?; and 3) Maxa-amta ka ngo (ni biyag mo)!
IT MIGHT HAVE been ‘happier’ – and easier (!) if all Nabalois use these ‘renditions’ uniformly, naturally, or usually; but No! they don’t. observe the ‘choices’ and variations, still for #s 1), 2), and 3):
1-a) Si-kak da y maxa-amta!; 1-b) Si-kak da y bahala!; and 1-c) Ulay to ak da!; even 1-d) Bahala ak da! For 2) we have:
2-a) Ulay to ka koma ngo la?; 2-b) Maxa-amta ka koma ngo la?; 2-c) Bahala ka koma ngo la?; 2-d) Si-kam koma ngo lay bahala? For 3), we have:
3-a) Maxa-amta ka ngo (shita biyag mo)!; 3-b) Ulay to ka ngo (nita biyag mo)!; 3-c) Bahala ka ngo (nita biyag mo)! even.. 3-d) Si-kam ngo ah! (Transl. literal: “You, yourself [EMPHASIS]!”).
LOOKING AT OUR examples, you notice 12 ‘choices’ and variation-applications of the three (the original Tagalog) renditions of a), b), and c).
EACH OF THESE 12 applications has a different ‘shade of meaning’ – depending upon Context.
WITH THE ADDITION (or Adaption?) of the Tagalog word Bahala.. in Nabaloi, the Grammar has become a bit ‘relaxed’ – or less strict; but also less specific, even ambiguous (?). Note for instance:
THE THIRD TAGALOG EXPR of: Bahala ka sa buhay mo which roughly translates: “Your life; your own lookout. Count me out!” said for example by a friend who is advising a ‘close’ one, not to continue courting madame Z, but to which advice the close one instead retorts: “how can I? I love her so much!”
OF THE FOUR (3-a, 3-b, 3-c, 3-d) Nabaloi renditions, the closest to the above is 3-a) Maxa-amta ka ngo shita-biyag mo. The distinguishing ‘shade’ is that: the speaker is saying he wants ‘out.. of the issue’.
IN THE SECOND rendition of 3-b) Ulay to ka ngo nita biyag mo!, the speaker is not exempting himself; rather, he’ll help, but just: ‘maybe’ and that, it is the advised ones ‘own call’, not his.
IN THE THIRD rendition = this time with Bahala.. viz 3-c) Bahala ka ngo nita biyag mo!, the speaker is as if saying: “Be on the lookout.. but I’m just here, in case – you’ll need some help or what. Here,
AMBIGUITIES SET IN – as the advised close one asks: “Does he mean he is supporting me, after all? But he said Bahala ka.. not Bahala na! (Come what may!). et cetera? Ah, Bahala ka.. is he also saying – Take care that..xxx
IN THE FOURTH rendition, which is the 3-d) Si-kam ngo ah!, the speaker is clearly excluding himself and is in fact, sort of preventing the advised one to involve him; it is the advised one’s affair, not his [he is emphatically implying].
THE NABALOI RENDITIONS specify; the Bahala.. adaptations generalize. So, it is better to discard the expressions or constructions (in this Discussion, examples: #s 1-b, 1-d, 2-c, 2-d, 3-c, see Supra) when speaking Nabaloi? Our answer:
BUT HOW CAN you? Many if not most, speakers of Nabaloi today use those Bahala.. adaptations quite regularly to the disadvantage of the Nabaloi originals, to wit: Maxa-amta and Ulay to~
AND THE ADAPTATIONS to Nabaloi come not only from Tagalog or the National Language, but from many wherefroms; witness:
NGANTO Y GERID (“Grade”, English) mo? (Transl. “What is your grade?”); or, Anchokey y damisaan (la mesa, Spanish) (lit. Transl. “Long is the table.”); or ‘Ya (“Yes”, German) aym olwis fayn!’ (a Nabaloi speaking English: “Yes I’m always fine!”). The Tagalog
Ako ang bahala! (1) appears ‘distant’ in structure to Iluko, Siak ti maka-ammo which, in turn, is ‘close’ to Nabaloi, Si-kak y maxa-amta (just change Siak to Si-kak, ti to y, and ammo to amta) and
4) Bahala na! which is: maka ammo d(i)tan! In Iluko; and maka-amta d tan in Nabaloi; or
Ulay to d man! Which is (U)way nas di! In Northern – as well as Southern – Kankana-ey.
IN THE ABOVE-CITED Philippine language examples, the structures are similar and the meanings are cognates to one another, viz. “I’ll take care of it!” (Tagalog model: Ako ang bahala! and “Come what may!” (Bahala na!).
GRANTING THAT YOU were Nabaloi – or if you are not: will you prefer using the Bahala.. adaptations? Or, the original, ‘specific’ forms/expressions?