Republic of the Philippines

University of Eastern Philippines

GRADUATE STUDIES
University Town, Northern Samar

COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, PLEASE?

(A Self-Authored Article
on Filipinisms)

In partial fulfillment of
the requirements in the course
Language and Literature 807
(Structure of English)

Submitted by:

MARK P. BONABON
MALL 2

Submitted to:

Prof. VILLA C. CARPIO, DALT

Course Professor
 COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, PLEASE?

by Mark P. Bonabon

Basically, I am no renowned linguist to sound like well-

versed on this stuff. I am just a greenhorn English teacher,

and thus still have to take a good fill and feel of the

English language. I only wish to share with you a little of

my mind’s fill, and a lot of its vacuity.

Actually, I have just committed a language faux pas, a

Filipinism, at the very beginning of the preceding paragraph.

See how incompetent I am? The adverb, basically, as it is

used above may not sound quite right to a native English

speaker. Basically became a well-adapted expression of

Filipino English speakers which usually functions like a

filler or hesitator.

How shameless writer I am! So, do you still mind if you

carry on reading? If your answer is affirmative, and indeed

intends to read on, you are committing another blunder. Saying

yes would mean that it’s only a waste of your precious time

perusing this article. Your response should have been “No,

not at all” or “No, I don’t mind at all.”

Well, I ask you an apology for my candidness. What? Do

you notice that I’m getting worse with my semantics? Here is

the thing. If I ask you an apology, it means that you have

wronged me, and not the other way around. Its logical and

lucid version should appear like “I apologize to you” or “I

should make an apology.”

Am I making sense? By the way, why should we make such

a big fuss about this issue? Fool may I be to answer my own

question, but here it goes: Filipinisms or loosely termed,

Philippine English is “a bastardization of a language

(English) or an indigenization of it ” according to Walter

Ang in his article, 8 Instances of Filipino English vs.

American English. Moreover, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

defined bastardize as “to reduce from a higher to a lower

state or condition,” and indigenize, “to cause to have

indigenous characteristics.” Talking about the bastardization

of the English language, the world’s lingua franca, is

definitely a gargantuan problem especially to language

purists or prescriptive grammarians. Indigenization of the

English language, on the other hand, may be attributed to the

first-language interference which is manifested through

transliteration or verbatim translation in English of a

Filipino term (e. g., “open the light” is a transliteration

of “buksan ang ilaw”). Indigenization may not sound as bad as

bastardization but both connote something unwholesome about

Filipinos. So now, is this issue not crucially detrimental to

the Pinoy’s professional reputation as good speakers of the

English tongue?

Hence, to minimize the use or to get rid of Filipinisms

altogether, let’s peruse a roster of them below taken from

the anonymous article, Using Filipinisms: A Native English

Speaker’s Pet Peeve published online on June 5, 2013.

FILIPINISM WHY IT’S WRONG IT’S BETTER TO SAY…

Free
Preposition use Free subscription to
subscription of
It’s free. / It’s free
Inappropriate word of charge. / We’re
It’s for free
use (for) sending it to you for
free.
Sounds absurd (Hold
Hold your your line), Caller Would you mind if I
line/For a would expect a put you on hold for a
while… longer waiting time second? / Please hold
(for a while)
Open/close (for
appliances, It’s like referring
office to an item for Turn on/off
equipment and repair
lights)
Yes, I’ll
wait. (in Confusing mainly
No, not at all. / No,
response to “Do because of the “YES”
I don’t mind at all.
you mind word
waiting?”)
Is there anything I
Anything? Sounds vague can do for you? / How
may I help you?
I’ll apologize to her.
I’ll ask her an
Confusing/illogical / I should make an
apology.
apology.
Term not recognized
Tuck out in American/British Untuck
English
Misuse of the word
“salvaged”, which
He was
means saving He was assassinated.
salvaged.
something from being
destroyed
 She delivered She had her baby
Subject-verb
her baby yesterday. / Dr. Smith
confusion
yesterday. delivered her baby.
Term not recognized
Oppositor in American/British Opposition member
English
Term not recognized
Hand carry in American/British Carry-on luggage
English
It’s traffic Misuse of the word
Traffic is heavy.
today. “traffic”
Term not recognized
Senatoriable in American/British Senatorial candidate
English
I failed in
Inappropriate use of I failed accent
accent
“in” training.
training.
Pass by my
Inappropriate word Drop by my office
office before
choice (“pass”) before you go.
you go.
We have one
Redundant term (“one We have one
participant
only”) participant.
only.
Misplaced adverb,
I already spoke with
I talked to her used as filler and
her. / I have already
already. “talked” sounds too
spoken to her.
informal
Word should be used to
explain a
justification of a
Commonly used different thought or a
filler, or used as known fact – The boss
Actually
an answer to replace is actually very
“yes” lenient. / Nobody
knows what actually
caused the fight at
the party.
As per Paul, As per Paul’s
all request instructions, all
Incomplete sentence
forms should be request forms should
signed by him. be signed by him.
Term not recognized
Tailor (male) or
Sewer in American/British
seamstress (female)
English
Thank you for the
Thank you for Sounds confusing and
information. / Thank
that/this one. impolite
you.
Currently, I Redundant Currently, I live
live there (“currently” and there. / I live there
right now. “right now”) right now.
 Term not recognized
Bottomless in American/British Refillable
English
Word not found in restroom, powder
C.R. / comfort
the English room, bathroom, shower
room
dictionary room, toilet
Term not recognized
Get into line / Line
Fall in line in American/British
up / Make a line
English
“Fill up” means
Fll up this pouring something
Fill out this form
form until completely
filled
Word choice Where do you go to
Where are you
(“studying”) is too school? / What school
studying?
casual do you go to?
Redundant (“repeat”
and “again”),
Could you
inappropriate use of
repeat that Could you repeat that?
“please” in a
again, please?
sentence that is
obviously a command

Therefore, when an acquaintance would ask me, “Where are

you studying?,” I would reply, “Usually, in my room, and

rarely in the library.” Preposterous highbrow! But I’m afraid

that somebody would accuse me of committing a heinous language

crime called Filipinism if I would say, “At the University of

Eastern Philippines.” Or else, to get rid of that insolent

air, and to give him all the chances to rephrase his question

(because he may realize he is using Filipinism), I may

inadvertently utter with a mellow voice, “Could you repeat

the question again, please?” What? I’m even more foolish! If

committing a grammar blunder were tantamount to receiving a

severe punishment, my friend might get a reclusion perpetua,

and I would surely get a death penalty!