family & relative

potetjp potetjp at wanadoo.fr
Mon Nov 20 18:09:33 UTC 2000


This is what I know about Tagalog.
First of all, differently from English, Tagalog makes the distinction
between _báta?_ "child, i.e. (human) being from birth to puberty" - also
used instead of archaic _múra?_  to mean "young"  as opposed to _matandá?_
"old" - and _anák_ "a couple's offspring".
Actually the latter, _anák_, is an adjectival form used as a noun derived
from the stem _ának_ (cf. gútom "hunger" Vs gutóm "hungry" etc.).
This stem _ának_ is never used alone; it only appears in derivatives.
Here follow the family terms derived from _ának_:
_mag-ának_ "family" (_mag-_ of collectivity, cf. _mag-iná_ "mother and
child, _mag-iiná_ "mother and children")
_kamag-ának_ "member of the family; relative" (_ka-_ of companionship)
_pang- + pa- + anák + in > pamangkín_ "nephew or niece" (instrumental (?)
_pang-_; factitive _pa-_)
_ának + an > angkán_ "lineage"

_anák_ "child"
_ináanák_ "godson or goddaughter"
_anák-anákan_ "foster child" (structure of imitation, cf. _báhay_ "house" >
_baháy-baháyan_ "toy house", _patáy_ "dead" > _patáy-patáyan_ "plaster
corpse of Christ in churches")

There are also  two terms unrelated to _ának_
_hinlóg_ "relative"
_lípi?_ "lineage"

It seems that Span. _familia_ > Tag. _pamílya_ has replaced _mag-ának_ in
the Manila area. The people I mingled with
never used _mag-ának_ . Also I remember the Mendezes' jeep proudly bearing
on both sides "Familia Mendez".
The terms _angkán_, _hinlóg_ and _lípi?_ seem to be obsolete or literary.
Jean-Paul G. POTET



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