singkatan

[potet]

Dear Joe,
Here are a few examples of abbreviations, acronyms and portmanteaus in
Tagalog.
Best
Jean-Paul G. POTET. B. P. 46. 92114 CLICHY CEDEX. FRANCE.



balarilà [ba-la-ri:-la?] "grammar" < bála-na "everybody" + -ng (linker) +
dilà "tongue" [coined by Lope K. SANTOS]

daglát "abbreviation" < daglî "instantaneous" + súlat "writing"

EDSA < Epifanio de los Santos Avenue "a famous Metro-Manila thoroughfare
where important political events took place, hence the political concept of
popular upheaval against the president in charge"

Gomburza < Gomez + Burgos + Zamora "three priests condemned to the death
penalty for sedition by the end of the Spanish period"

Luzviminda < Luzon + Visayas + Mindanao "the Philippines [very seldom used
as such]; also a girl's name"

Malakañan / Malakányan "the name of the presidential palace < ma-
"adjectival prefix" + lakán "grandee + linker" + diyán "there"
NOTE. This etymology was invented in the 20th Century. There is every reason
to believe that the place was named after a plant growing there. This plant
name is of the _mala-_ "false" type, e.g. _kalíngag_ "cinnamon tree" >
_malakalíngag_ "false cinnamon tree". The _-an_ suffix is that of place
names.
The stem must have been *_kani_, but no such stem in entered in old
dictionaries. Conversely the stem _kaníla_ does exist in Ilokano, Bikol and
Kapampangan and means "cinnamon". If such is the stem, it would be necessary
to posit _*mala-kaníla-an > *mala-kaníha-an > *mala-kanía-an > *malakanían >
malakányan_ (the evolution of some intervocalic Ls into /Ø/ is well-known: /
l > h > Ø /). This would imply that the name is very old and dates back to a
period when Tagalogs where not yet in the Manila area. Whatever, in the
absence of solid written references, my theory rests on its own merit.

Susmaryosép "Oh, my God!" < Hesús "Jesus" + María "Mary + Husép < Joséph
"Joseph [16th Century Spanish pronunciation]"

tatsúlok "triangle" < tatló "three" + súlok "corner"


    ZORC's Tagalog slang dictionary has plenty of them. Here is one.

buwisíta "unwanted visitor" < bisíta < Span. visita "visitor" + buwísit  "an
importune"
< Hokkien Chin. bö-uî-sít "no-clothes-food > unlucky" [ö = o with a macron]