!like e0wh ph0z teh! #lol Exploring Filipinos’ “Little Languages” in the 21

st Century

Ramos, Malvin Daniel C.

Grade 11 – Muhammad Yunus

September 16, 2014

Concept Paper: Final Draft

After the war in Mactan in 1521, one of the shipmates of Magellan, Antonio Pigafetta

wrote down and described the Visayans to be illiterate people. In 1567, Miguel Lopez de

Legazpi stated that the Visayans have their own letters and characters just like the Malays‟, and

it was called the Baybayin.1 In the year 1897, Tagalog was introduced by the Spaniards to spread

Catholicism around the Philippines. Spanish and English were taught in schools along with

Tagalog in 1935. Two years after, 1937, Tagalog was declared as their national language. Then

in 1959, Tagalog was renamed to Pilipino to separate indigenous people and ethnic identity. In

the 1973 Constitution, Pilipino and English were used while Filipino was being mandated and

developed. Then in the 1987 Constitution, Filipino was declared as our national language and

was specified that Filipino language should evolve by being developed and enriched based on

other existing languages.2

People wondered about the differences among Tagalog, Pilipino and Filipino. According

to the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino and one professor in the field of the Filipino language,

Professor Rowell Madula, stated that Tagalog and Pilipino both use native words like bughaw

and pamantasan and were used by native people like the Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Waray,

Kampampangan and many others, while the Filipino used modern words like asul and

unibersidad, which were used by most of the people living in Manila.3 4

Now, in the 21st century, the Filipino and the English language are still being used.

However, this is also the century wherein little languages emerged. These little languages

branched out from the Filipino and English language. The use of words, spelling, grammar and

aesthetics were modernized depending on what little language is being used. Jejemons,

1 Morrow, Paul. "Baybayin: The Ancient Script of the Philippines." www.mts.net. N.p., 14 July 2010. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.

2 Valencia, Patrick. "Wikang Filipino, Sagisag ng Pagka-Pilipino." TomasinoWeb. TomasinoWeb Beta, 10 Aug. 2014. Web. 07 Sept. 2014.

3 Remit Home Corporation. "The Philippines: Celebrating Diversity." Tagalog, Pilipino, Filipino. Remit Home Corporation, Apr. 2010. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.

4 Bandila. "Jeproks to Jejemon: How the Filipino Language Evolves." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

Swardspeak, Netspeak, and Taglish/Englog are some known little languages that are

predominantly used by Pilipinos.5 6

According to the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, these little languages are the new

languages invented in the Philippines for easy communication; either personally or through

social media (Facebook, Twitter, or even texting). These little languages are now being

predominantly used by teenagers and middle-aged people in the country. What were the

modifications done in inventing these little languages? 7

1. Jejemons: A mixture of the Filipino and English language, this was first used in

texting. They categorize levels on how the texting is done: mild, moderate, severe and terminal.

They call their alphabet the Jejebet which is based on Leet. Jejebet is known for mixing letters in

a word, either in small or big letters, and using the letters H, X or Z many times. Symbols and

numbers are also used in the Jejebet. The Philippine Daily Inquirer describes Jejemons as the

new breed of hipsters not only creating their own language but also their own subculture and

fashion. Jejemons was first used in the internet message board or internet forums. Due to the

sudden existence of Jejemons, Jejebusters were also created. They are people who disagree with

the use of the Jejemon language.

From 2010 to 2011, the Department of Education discourages the use of Jejemons,

especially in texting and communication, because it is not helping young Filipino students‟

language skills. In the year 2013, smartphones began to dominate the stores overtaking feature

phones, and Jejemon started to decline in popularity.

(example: Hello po! !eWoh pH0z!)

5 Contreras, Antonio P. "Betraying the Filipino Language." GMA News Online. GMA, 17 June 2014. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.

6 GMA News. " Jejemon, Bekimon, Patunay Na Buhay Ang Wikang Filipino?" YouTube. YouTube, 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

7 GMA News. " Jejemon, Bekimon, Patunay Na Buhay Ang Wikang Filipino?" YouTube. YouTube, 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

2. Swardspeak: This is being used by gays through texting but more on communicating

personally. Similar to the Jejemons, it is an alteration of the Filipino and English language.

People who use swardspeak are commonly called as the bekimons. This slang uses suffixes like –

ey, –h, –er, –lls, -ch, and more. The word „swardspeak‟ was coined by a columnist named Nestor

Torre in the 1970s. On the other hand, according to Ayn Vernica de Jesus, swardspeak is the

modernization of “jologsification” of the Shakespearean language. Swardspeak is still being used

until today by gays and gay. According to Professor Rowell Madula, swardspeak is categorized

as part of the “sociolect” wherein a language is made by a group of people depending on the

same gender, age and interest.8

(example: mother, father, sister, brother mudra, pudra, sistereth, brothereth)

3. Netspeak: This is now being used worldwide and even in the Philippines and people

who use this little language are called netizens. Netspeak is also called the Internet slang and it is

the use of abbreviated words wherein the first letter of each word is attained and all following

words are omitted like gtg for „got to go‟, ttyl for „talk to you later‟, brb for „be right back‟, and

so on and so forth. It is used again for easier and faster communication. One common trend also

in the Netspeak nowadays is the word hashtag. The use of # is to categorize keywords easily and

when the hashtagged word is clicked, it will also show other pictures, posts or tweets that used

the same keyword. Hashtag is mainly used in social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and

Instagram. 9 Netspeak originated in the early days of the Internet and mainly used in chat rooms,

social network services, online games and other online community services.

(example: laughing out loud lol)

8 Bandila. "Jeproks to Jejemon: How the Filipino Language Evolves." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

9 Matt, Samantha. "How to Properly Use the 'Hashtag'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

4. Taglish/Englog: This can either be a mixture of the Filipino words and English words

or vice versa in communication or in literary works. It is commonly used by the conyos,

described as the people who speak in an annoying tone using Taglish/Englog. Several versions of

this are the Jejemons and the Swardspeak. Taglish is referred as the usage of English words in

the Tagalog syntax, while Englog is referred as the usage of Tagalog words in the English

syntax. Taglish/Englog is used by Filipinos around the world, and it is stated that it is a faster and

easier way of communication.

(example: Good Morning po! Maaari niyo pong i-avail itong bag for just limang daan.)

Virgilio Almario, a National Artist of the Philippines, stated that the Filipino language is

not yet ripe, in a sense that most of the words were influenced by the Spaniards and Americans.10

He also stated that Jejemon and Swardspeak are cultured languages which tend to be

misconstrued and temporary. He coined the term “siyokoy”, pertaining to the words invented by

linguistics of the Filipino language which have wrong use but are popularly used and accepted.

He said that as years pass, the emergence of “siyokoy‟s” will be seen, but its effect will be null

as long as we are united in using and understanding the significance and importance of the

Filipino language.11

10

Almario, Virgilio S. Filipino ng mga Filipino: Mga Asterisko sa Istandard ng Ispeling, Estilo sa Pagsulat, at Paraan ng Pagpapayaman sa Wikang Pambansa.

Manila: Anvil Pub., 1993. Print. 11

Jimenez, Fidel R. "Nauna pa sa „Jejemon‟ at „Bekimon:‟ Ang „Siyokoy‟ sa Wikang Filipino." GMA News Online. GMA, 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

WORKS CITED

Almario, Virgilio S. Filipino ng mga Filipino: Mga Asterisko sa Istandard ng Ispeling, Estilo sa

Pagsulat, at Paraan ng Pagpapayaman sa Wikang Pambansa. Manila: Anvil Pub., 1993.

Print.

Bandila. "Jeproks to Jejemon: How the Filipino Language Evolves." YouTube. YouTube, 26

Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

Constantino, Pamela C. Filipino at Pagplaplanong Pangwika. N.p.: Sentro ng Wikang Filipino,

Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, 2005. Print.

Contreras, Antonio P. "Betraying the Filipino Language." GMA News Online. GMA, 17 June

2014. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.

Corpuz, Maria Florenda N. "Isulong Ang Wikang Ingles, Pagyamanin Ang Wikang

Filipino." Argus-Eyed (Tokyo Edition). Blogspot, 17 Sept. 2008. Web. 07 Sept. 2014.

Garcia, Lydia G. Mga Gramatikang Tagalog/Pilipino. Diliman, Lungsod ng Quezon: Sentro ng

Wikang Filipino, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Sistema, 1992. Print.

GMA News. "SONA Assignment Pilipinas - Jejemon, Bekimon, Patunay Na Buhay Ang Wikang

Filipino?" YouTube. YouTube, 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

Gonzalez, Andrew B. Language and Nationalism: The Philippine Experience thus Far. N.p.:

Ateneo De Manila University Press, 1983. Print.

Jimenez, Fidel R. "Nauna pa sa „Jejemon‟ at „Bekimon:‟ Ang „Siyokoy‟ sa Wikang

Filipino." GMA News Online. GMA, 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. Ani ng Wika. Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2010. Print.

Lumbera, Bienvenido. Writing the Nation: Pag-akda ng Bansa. Quezon City: University of the

Philippines Press, 2000. Print.

Matt, Samantha. "How to Properly Use the 'Hashtag'" The Huffington Post.

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

Morrow, Paul. "Baybayin: The Ancient Script of the Philippines." www.mts.net. N.p., 14 July

2010. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.

Remit Home Corporation. "The Philippines: Celebrating Diversity." Tagalog, Pilipino, Filipino.

Remit Home Corporation, Apr. 2010. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.

Valencia, Patrick. "Wikang Filipino, Sagisag ng Pagka-Pilipino." TomasinoWeb. TomasinoWeb

Beta, 10 Aug. 2014. Web. 07 Sept. 2014.