Language and Dialect: The Filipino Context - Essay Example

Running Head: LANGUAGE & DIALECT Language & Dialect: The Filipino Context Language is the communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. A dialect is a variation of the standard language of the culture in which it exists, in terms of pronunciation of words, grammar, vocabulary and other speech expressions. This paper discusses language and dialect concepts in general with examples from languages and dialects in the Philippines. It also looks into some language theories and how they relate to Philippine languages. Various examples are used to elucidate on theories and attitudes towards language varieties using the Philippine context. Finally, the author provides a personal reflection regarding the quotation from Peter Trudgill on the toleration of dialects. The paper ends with the conclusion that dialects should be tolerated while common languages should be developed, all for improved communication, understanding and collaborative progressive work. Introduction Today, there are about 5,000-6,000 different languages spoken in the world. About 200 of these languages have more than a million native speakers. According to O’Neill (2008), Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers, with around 874 million people using it as a native language. Hindi, spoken in India, comes next with around 366 million and English is a distant third with around 341 million native speakers. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino, although according to Edraline (2008), a survey of Richard Pitman, an American linguist, showed there are 55 native languages and 142 dialects in the country. Of the native languages, eight are considered principal languages because they are the most widely spoken – Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano, Ilongo, Bicolano, Waray, Kampampangan and Panggalatok. Much of the Filipino language is derived from Tagalog, which is spoken in Metro Manila and the nearby provinces. But the official version of the Filipino language today has incorporated a lot of words from the other principal languages as well as English and Spanish, such as radio for radio, telebisyon for television or tiya and tiyo, for the Spanish tia and tio, meaning aunt and uncle. It has been often said that language defines a culture. It is a sort of documentation or chronicle of a way of life. The words which comprise a language get created as needs arise. In the same manner, words that existed in a previous language version get forgotten as less and less people use them and so are dropped out from the current version. As culture evolves, so does language, as in the case of Filipino. Today’s version is a lot different from the language used by Filipino ancestors who inhabited the Philippine islands a thousand years ago. With the Philippines being a nation of more than 7,100 islands, it is no wonder that there are many languages and dialects spoken. The country’s history combines Asian, European and American influences which have worked to enrich its many languages and dialects as well as cause a certain amount of confusion and lack of unification. It is for this reason that two official languages for the country have been proclaimed by government, Filipino as the national language and English, which is widely used as a medium of instruction in schools. Language and Dialect According to the American Heritage Dictionary (2000), one definition of language is that it is the communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. It is a system used by a nation, a people or a distinct community, with rules for combining language components such as words. The Filipino language alphabet consists of 28 letters – A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, Ñ, NG, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. “The letters C, F, J, Ñ, Q, V, X and Z are only used in proper names and nouns, scientific and technical terms and words native to other Philippine languages” (Ager, 2008). Filipino Language and Literature subjects are taught in Philippine schools all throughout elementary, high school and college. Filipino grammar is fairly complex. For example, nouns are preceded by case markers. Personal markers are for names of people. Common markers are for all other nouns. Nominative markers indicate the actor of an intransitive verb and the object of an transitive verb. Ergative markers indicate the actor of a transitive verb and the object of an intransitive verb. They also mark possession. Oblique markers are similar to English spatial prepositions. Case Markers in Filipino Nominative Ergative Oblique Common Singular ang ng sa Common Plural ang mga ng mga sa mga Personal Singular si ni kay Personal Plural sina nina kina Using the table above, “Dumating ang lalaki” is literally translated as “Arrive the man” or properly translated as “The man arrived”. “Nakita ni Juan si Maria” is literally translated as “Saw Juan Maria” or properly translated as “Juan saw Maria” (NVTC 2007). A dialect is a variation of the standard or national language of the culture in which it exists. Differences between a dialect and its mother language exist in the pronunciation of words, grammar, vocabulary and other speech expressions (American Heritage Dictionary, 2000). Batangueño is a Tagalog dialect spoken by people in the province of Batangas in Southern Luzon, Philippines. Its vocabulary is more closely related to ancient Tagalog and has not incorporated newer words accepted into the Tagalog language. Batanagueño is also spoken faster and with heavier accent than Tagalog. The word “kain (ka-in)” means “eat”. In Tagalog, “kumakain” means “eating”. “Eating” in Batangueño is “nakain”, while “nakain” in Tagalog means “eaten”. According to evolutionists, communication using speech is uniquely human and by age four, most humans are able to communicate using an oral language. By age six or seven, most humans can comprehend and express written thought. The languages of the world have evolved spontaneously and without design (Harrub etal, 2003). The Filipino language is no exception. From the ancient Tagalog, today’s Tagalog language has evolved, from which most of the Filipino language sprung from. Filipino vocabulary contains Filipinized words from Spanish, Chinese, English, Malay, Sanskrit, Arabic, Tamil, Persian, and other Austronesian languages which suggest reasons for how the language has evolved (Ager, 2008). According to Lipski (n.d.), within a language, dialect differentiation occurs because of three reasons. The first comes from the roots of the settlers in a geographical area. The second comes from contact with other languages. “The third factor is linguistic drift, spontaneous changes which occur in the absence of standardizing forces of a large metropolis, and which even in the most literate societies result in the inevitable and inexorable change of all languages across time” (Lipski, n.d.). Ilocano is another Philippine language. It is spoken in Northern Luzon, in the Ilocos region, the Cordilleras, and the Cagayan Valley region. Fifteen provinces comprise these three regions, with fifteen cities and 280 municipalities (Wikipedia 2008). Each city or town has its own dialect variation of the Ilocano language. Sometimes it occurs in the spelling of a word. “Uling” is charcoal in the Pangasinan version, which is “uging” in the Ilocos Sur version, which is “uring” in the Ilocos Norte version. Other times variation occurs in the intonation used when the dialect is spoken. The Vigan City version is more high pitched than the Narvacan town version. Language and Dialect Theories According to Kumar (1997) there are two major philosophical schools of thought that address the ability of language to portray concepts and objective facts. One is logical empiricism, and the other is ordinary language theory. Logical empiricism attempts to find an exact symbol or word to represent each and every exact meaning, thus eliminating confusion because of vague or ambiguous words. It also seeks to reform linguistic structure and create a system without definitional and organizational confusion, removing the emotional aspects of language in favor of informational concepts. On the other hand, in ordinary language theory, language is thought of as a quasi-perfect system for communication of concepts. Language may be wrongly interpreted at times. “What is meant may not be what is understood” is an acceptable concept in ordinary language theory. The Filipino language behaves much like other languages. When Filipino is used by native speakers in oral communication, the vocabulary, grammar, intonation and expressions used suggest which part of the country the speaker comes from and what particular dialect of the Filipino language is being used. There is an oft repeated anecdote in the Central Luzon area about the confusion brought about by differences in languages or dialects. “Itlog” in the Pangasinan dialect means “egg”. As one travels south from Pangasinan to Pampanga, “itlog” becomes “ibon”. “Ibon” happens to be the Pangasinan word for “bird”. So the anecdote goes that the egg turns into a bird after you cross the bridge which divides Pangasinan and Pampanga. The Filipino language was born, defined and made the national and official language precisely to minimize the differences among various Filipino groups. It is now uniformly taught in all the schools in the country using standard curricula, grammar rules and literary materials approved by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education. According to Fowler (2000), the study of linguistics strengthens studies in anthropology (sociolinguistics), biology (neurolinguistics), cognitive psychology (psycholinguistics), classics (historical linguistics), philosophy (semantics), and early childhood development (language acquisitions). The scientific study of human language includes phonetics (physical nature of speech), phonology (use of sounds in language), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning of words and how they continue into sentences) and pragmatics (effects of situations on language use). The properties of the language unite a people while the differences among dialects distinguish ethno groupings and cultures. Filipino as a language does tend to unite a nation of peoples in more than 7,000 islands. The creation of this unified language has indeed enhanced studies in various aspects of the Philippines. It has greatly improved communication between subgroups and allowed closer collaboration for undertakings serving the country as a whole. Other Philippine languages and dialects continue to be handed down from generation to generation. So far, there is no move to obliterate any of the other languages or dialects in favor of only Filipino. This is good because each language reflects the culture of the subgroup. Most of the major languages have their own collections of literary works. The existence of the Filipino language today has served to provide a medium for translating all these works into a commonly understandable form. Attitudes towards language varieties Every individual has his or her own set of values that define how he or she acts and reacts. This in turn defines personality and portrays the individual to people that he or she interacts with. The language or dialect one uses is part of this entire scheme. What is defined as socially acceptable language is formed by the environment wherein an individual is raised or where he or she lives. Some may accept swearing or blasphemy as an everyday occurrence, others may find it offensive. Neither attitude is wrong (Wiseman, n.d.). In terms of language and dialect variations, there is also no sense in saying that a certain language or dialect is incorrect or not socially acceptable if only because different people groups over time have participated in the formulation, development and evolution of the means of communication. One of the modern dialects which has emerged in the Philippines is something called Taglish which is a contraction of the words Tagalog and English. In actuality, it is using the Tagalog language infused with English words. For example, “They are uncomfortable about asking you a favor because it’s not part of your job” would be said in Taglish as “Nahihiya sila mag-ask ng favor sa iyo kasi hindi na part ng job mo”, when the proper Tagalog or Filipino would be “Nahihiya sila humingi ng tulong mo dahil hindi kasama ito sa trabaho mo.” Taglish has become the lingua franca in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. It is also widely used on television programs. However, it is not acceptable for academic or official writing and other forms of formal communication. As earlier expounded, Filipinos belonging to different parts of the country would have language and dialect differences and peculiarities. The Filipino language which has incorporated most of the Tagalog words and language nuances mandates speaking or writing in a more respectful manner than the other languages and consequently the dialects which have stemmed from these other languages. The Filipino words “po” and “opo” are used to denote respect for an older person or a person with higher authority. These words are not present in any of the other languages. Non-native Tagalog speakers are therefore generally frowned upon by native speakers as being arrogant and pompous in their communication, even while using the unified Filipino language. Since the Tagalog speaking portion of the country comprises a huge majority, to a certain extent, there is discrimination against groups which do not belong. It is therefore apparent that attitudes to language varieties are formed by the listeners or readers of the language and negative attitudes to such varieties are misplaced. It is the listener or reader who decides to be offended, a conditioned response rather than a cognitive one. And this revulsion is not the liability of the listener because he or she is merely using the set of values ingrained upon him or her by the society or environment in which he or she functions (Wiseman, n,d,). Trudgill Reflection (2) Dialects are not good or bad, nice or nasty, right or wrong – they are just different from one another, and it is the mark of a civilised society that it tolerates different dialects just as it tolerates different races, religions and sexes (Trudgill 1994:2). Professor Peter Trudgill is a sociolinguist, academic and author. He has carried out linguistic fieldwork in Britain, Greece and Norway. Trudgill is a well-known authority on dialects (Wikipedia 2008). I absolutely agree with Trudgill’s pronouncement above. A dialect is usually a lesser known form of a language, something not standardized. Compared with other languages, the dialect may lack vocabulary, strict grammar rules or wide usage. But that being the case, there is no reason for it to be “good or bad, nice or nasty, right or wrong”. As long as it serves its purpose of providing a means of communication between and among its speakers and users, then the dialect must be allowed to persist and possibly flourish. For the outsider looking in, learning and studying a dialect would provide deeper insights into a people. According to Philippine history, the country was under Spanish domination for more than 300 years and under American rule for less than 50 years (Philippine History, 2008). Although a huge number of Spanish words have been incorporated in the Filipino language, Filipinos as a people do not generally speak Spanish. However, in terms of density, the Philippines is the third largest English-speaking country in the world (WOWPhilippines, 2008). A common explanation regarding this is that the Spaniards decided to learn the native language instead of teaching Spanish to the natives. Spanish friars, in their quest to spread religion learned the native language. On the other hand, the American instead taught English and introduced their systems to the Filipinos, so much so that the Philippine educational system and the system of government are patterned after the United States. English is a co-official language in the Philippines, along with Filipino. A dialect may also be associated with a particular social class. In this case, I again agree with Trudgill that dialects should be tolerated in the same vein as races, religions and sexes are tolerated. It would definitely be undemocratic and inhuman to discriminate against a dialect or certain languages for that matter. It is a common practice in Philippine politics for national candidates to address their prospective voters in the native tongue as they campaign from province to province. And people who hear them speak in their own language or dialect tend to automatically express their appreciation with wild cheer. Even visiting foreigners delight locals when they use the local language. Not tolerating a dialect would be tantamount to discrimination and unfavorable treatment of its user. Finally, I again agree with Trudgill that toleration of different dialects is the mark of a civilized society. The American Heritage Dictionary defines this as one with an advanced state of intellectual, cultural, and material development in human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, the extensive use of record-keeping, including writing, and the appearance of complex political and social institutions. An intellectually and culturally civilized society does not discriminate against a dialect or the people who use it. Rather, a civilized society would tolerate and support a dialect, its development, its progress and the social structures which uses it. Conclusion The ability to communicate through a language or dialect is uniquely human. There is practically no definitive study about the origins of languages but the fact remains that languages and dialects exist. The state of languages and dialects today mirror a country’s or a group’s culture – patterns of behavior, arts, beliefs and other products of human thought (AHD, 2000). The Filipino language today, reflects the Filipino nation’s attempt at unifying the very many subgroups within the country, by providing a common means of communicating with each other and to serve as a basis for producing more products of human thought in a form understandable by all. The unfortunate reality is that although the world today is certainly more open and relaxed about its attitudes towards speech, words, dialects and languages, there is still the conditioning from an earlier time about what is acceptable. Although the Philippine government and other non-government groups work to unify the country at least through a common Filipino language while tolerating the wide variety of other languages and dialects, it would take time before negative attitudes towards language varieties are sufficiently minimized or eradicated. There also exist purist groups who do want to accept Filipino as the national language at all, or advocate for their own regional language to be a co-official language also. This is precisely the reason why the “Filipino” label was adopted instead of naming Tagalog as the national language despite its widest usage. All languages and dialects must be tolerated. They allow a homogeneous people to communicate and function together. Common languages have to be learned. They allow heterogeneous groups to understand each other. Reference List Ager, S. (2008). Filipino (wikang Filipino). In Omniglot Writing Systems and Languages of the World online. Retrieved August 8, 2008 from http://www.omniglot.com/writing/filipino.htm Civilization. (2000). In the American Heritage Dictionary online. Retrieved August 8, 2008 from http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/civilization Culture. (2000). In the American Heritage Dictionary online. 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Language and attitudes. Retrieved August 8, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/aliwiseman1974/Wiseman_Theory3.html WOW Philippines. (2008). About the Philippines. Retrieved August 8, 2008 from http://www.tourism.gov.ph/discover/history.asp Read More