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<font size=3>I have just completed the final draft of a paper which
deals, among other things, with gold weights at the turn of the 16th
century, particularly in the Bikol region. I would appreciate help with
the meaning of some of these terms and their reference.<br><br>
DATA:<br><br>
<dl>
<dd><b>tigambalá</b> a weight of 6 <b>amás</b> or six-sixteenths of a
tael of gold; var- <b>tigang balá</b> [mdl]<br><br>
<dd><b>amás</b> a measure of gold, equivalent to 1/16 of a tael; a mace
of gold; KA- a measure of 1 <i>amás</i>; 1 <b>kaamás</b> = 16
<b>bangatí</b>; 6 <b>kaamás</b> = 1 <b>tigambalá</b>; 16 <b>kaamás</b> =
1 <b>ba'síng</b> [mdl]<br><br>
<dd><b>padúni'</b> measure of gold; <b>padúni' sa duwá katigang balá</b>
measure of gold equivalent to 12 <i>amás</i>; <b>padúni' sa duwá kalímang
amás</b> measure of gold equivalent to 10 <i>amás</i>; <b>padúni' sa duwá
kakamandáhom</b> measure of gold equivalent to 5 <i>amás
</i>[mdl]<br><br>
<dd><b>bitínan</b>: <b>bitínan sapáha'</b> weight of 4 <b>amás</b> of
gold; <b>bitínan sa kamandáhom</b> weight of 2½ <b>amás</b> of gold;
<b>bitínan sa makasiyám</b> weight of 1½ <b>amás</b> of gold
[mdl]<br><br>
</dl>QUESTIONS:<br><br>
1: <b>tigambala / tigang bala</b>. The first of these forms also
occurs in Tagalog with the same meaning. We are dealing here with what
must two words: <b>tiga</b> and <b>bala</b>. Does anyone know what these
mean? <br><br>
2: <b>kamandahom</b> / <b>kakamandahom</b>. Since the prefix
<b>ka-</b> is independently identifiable, I believe we are dealing with a
morphologically complex root of the form <b>mandahom</b>. Does anyone
know how this might be divided and what the root might mean? This form
appears twice which makes it less likely there is a printing error,
although the possibility exists.<br><br>
3: <b>bitinan sa makasiyam</b>. The full phrase means, literally:
<i>nine times the weight</i> or <i>a weight of nine times</i>. The prefix
<b>maka-</b> in <b>makasiyam</b> is independently identifiable as
carrying the meaning of <i>times</i> in this context. Does anyone know
what the reference for 9 might be?<br><br>
I have identified the other forms which appear in the data above.
<br><br>
Thank you. All the best for the season and the New Year.<br>
Malcolm<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
Malcolm W Mintz<br>
School of Social and Cultural Studies<br>
Discipline of Asian Studies<br>
University of Western Australia<br><br>
[Telephone & Fax: +61 8 9459 0119]<br>
[email: mwmintz@iinet.net.au]<br>
<a href="http://www.indonesianmalaytexts.iinet.net.au/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.indonesianmalaytexts.iinet.net.au</a> </font></body>
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