Swardspeak
Encyclopedia
Swardspeak is an argot
or cant
slang derived from Englog
(Tagalog-English code-switching
) and used by a number of homosexuals
in the Philippines
.
, English
, Spanish
, and some from Japanese
, as well as celebrities' names and trademark brands, giving them new meanings in different contexts. It is largely localized within gay communities
, making use of words derived from the local languages or dialects, including Cebuano
, Hiligaynon
, Waray
, and Bicolano
.
By using swardspeak, Filipino gays are able to resist the dominant culture of their area and create a space of their own. The language is constantly changing, with old phrases becoming obsolete and new phrases frequently entering everyday usage, reflecting changes in their culture and also maintaining exclusivity. The dynamic nature of the language refuses to cement itself in a single culture and allows for more freedom of expression among its speakers. Words and phrases can be created to react to popular trends and create alternatives to a strictly defined lifestyle. By these characteristics, swardspeak creates a dissident group without any ties to geographical, linguistic, or cultural restrictions, thus allowing its speakers to shape the language as appropriate to the times. In this way, the language is not only "mobile" and part of a larger community, but also open to more specific or local meanings.
Gay people who speak the language almost exclusively are humorously called Bekimons (a contraction of Baklang Jejemon, 'Gay Jejemon
s'). Swardspeak is also spoken by babaeng bakla
, women who associate exclusively or mostly with gay men (literally 'gay women', though they are actually heterosexual).
, was coined by columnist and movie critic Nestor Torre in the 1970s. Reyes himself wrote a book on the subject entitled "Swardspeak: A Preliminary Study". "Sward" is slang for 'gay male' in the Philippines. The origin of the individual words and phrases, however, has existed longer and come from a variety of sources.
(and therefore highly dynamic, as opposed to colloquialism
s) that is built upon preexisting languages. It deliberately transforms or creates words that resemble words from other languages, particularly English
, Japanese
, Chinese
, Spanish
, French
, and German
. It is colorful, witty, and humorous, with vocabularies derived from popular culture and regional variations. It is unintelligible to people not familiar with the Filipino gay culture or do not know the rules of usage. There is no standardized set of rules, but some of the more common conventions are shown below:
Argot
An Argot is a secret language used by various groups—including, but not limited to, thieves and other criminals—to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations. The term argot is also used to refer to the informal specialized vocabulary from a particular field of study, hobby, job,...
or cant
Cant (language)
A Cant is the jargon or argot of a group, often implying its use to exclude or mislead people outside the group.-Derivation in Celtic linguistics:...
slang derived from Englog
Englog
Englog, sometimes Enggalog, is an informal sociolect in the Philippines. The term is a portmanteau of the words ‘English’ and ‘Tagalog’. It is formed by infusing Tagalog words and structures into English, an example of which is called Konyo English...
(Tagalog-English code-switching
Code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
) and used by a number of homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Description
Swardspeak uses elements from TagalogTagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and some from Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, as well as celebrities' names and trademark brands, giving them new meanings in different contexts. It is largely localized within gay communities
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
, making use of words derived from the local languages or dialects, including Cebuano
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
, Hiligaynon
Hiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
, Waray
Waray-Waray language
Wáray-Wáray or Samarnon is a language spoken in the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and in some parts of the Leyte and Biliran in the Philippines...
, and Bicolano
Bikol language
Central Bicolano , is one of the individual languages of the Bikol languages. It belongs to Coastal Bikol. It is spoken in Bicol Region of the Philippines .-Bikol-Naga:...
.
Usage
A defining trait of swardspeak slang that it immediately identifies the speaker as homosexual, making it easy for people of that orientation to recognize each other. This creates an exclusive group among its speakers and helps them resist cultural assimilation. More recently, though, even non-members of the gay community use this way of speaking, particularly heterosexual members of industries dominated by gays, such as the fashion and film industries.By using swardspeak, Filipino gays are able to resist the dominant culture of their area and create a space of their own. The language is constantly changing, with old phrases becoming obsolete and new phrases frequently entering everyday usage, reflecting changes in their culture and also maintaining exclusivity. The dynamic nature of the language refuses to cement itself in a single culture and allows for more freedom of expression among its speakers. Words and phrases can be created to react to popular trends and create alternatives to a strictly defined lifestyle. By these characteristics, swardspeak creates a dissident group without any ties to geographical, linguistic, or cultural restrictions, thus allowing its speakers to shape the language as appropriate to the times. In this way, the language is not only "mobile" and part of a larger community, but also open to more specific or local meanings.
Gay people who speak the language almost exclusively are humorously called Bekimons (a contraction of Baklang Jejemon, 'Gay Jejemon
Jejemon
Jejemon is a pop culture phenomenon in the Philippines. According to Urban Dictionary a Jejemon is a person "who has managed to subvert the English language to the point of incomprehensibility." The Philippine Daily Inquirer describes Jejemons as a "new breed of hipster who have developed not only...
s'). Swardspeak is also spoken by babaeng bakla
Fag hag
Fag hag is a gay slang phrase referring to a woman who either associates mostly or exclusively with gay and bisexual men, or has gay and bisexual men as close friends. The phrase originated in gay male culture in the United States and was historically an insult. Some women who associate with gay...
, women who associate exclusively or mostly with gay men (literally 'gay women', though they are actually heterosexual).
Origin
The word "Swardspeak", according to Jose Javier ReyesJosé Javier Reyes
Jose Javier Reyes is a Filipino writer, director, miscellaneous crew and actor. He has won awards at the Gawad Urian, Metro Manila Film Festival and Filipino Star Awards for Movies for his films, which include Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga, Batang PX and Kasal, kasali, kasalo.-References:...
, was coined by columnist and movie critic Nestor Torre in the 1970s. Reyes himself wrote a book on the subject entitled "Swardspeak: A Preliminary Study". "Sward" is slang for 'gay male' in the Philippines. The origin of the individual words and phrases, however, has existed longer and come from a variety of sources.
Conventions
Swardspeak is a form of slangSlang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
(and therefore highly dynamic, as opposed to colloquialism
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
s) that is built upon preexisting languages. It deliberately transforms or creates words that resemble words from other languages, particularly English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. It is colorful, witty, and humorous, with vocabularies derived from popular culture and regional variations. It is unintelligible to people not familiar with the Filipino gay culture or do not know the rules of usage. There is no standardized set of rules, but some of the more common conventions are shown below:
- Replacing the first letter/syllable of words with the letter "J"/"Sh" or the syllables "Jo-"/"Sho-" or "Ju-"/"Shu-".
| Swardspeak | Original Word | Language of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Jowa (variant diminutive Diminutive In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment... : Jowabelle) |
Asawa (husband, boyfriend) | Tagalog Tagalog language Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila... |
| Jonta | Punta (to go [to a place]) | Tagalog |
| Shupatid (further corrupted to Jupiter) | Kapatid (sibling) | Tagalog |
| Julaylay | Alalay (assistant) | Tagalog |
- Replacing the first letter/syllable of words with the diphthongs "Ky-" or "Ny-".
| Swardspeak | Original Word | Language of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Kyota | Bata (child) | Tagalog |
| Nyorts | Shorts | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
| Nyormville | FarmVille FarmVille FarmVille is a farming simulation social network game developed by Zynga in 2009. It is similar to Happy Farm, Farm Town,, and older games such as the Harvest Moon series... |
English |
| Kyoho | Mabaho (smelly) | Tagalog |
- Replacing the end syllable of words with "-ash", "-is", "-iz", "-ish", "-itch", "-ech", "-ush", or "-oosh" as a diminutiveDiminutiveIn language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
or augmentativeAugmentativeAn augmentative is a morphological form of a word which expresses greater intensity, often in size, but also in other attributes...
suffixSuffixIn linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
.
| Swardspeak | Original Word | Language of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Jotis (a very small amount) | Dyotay (a small amount) | Cebuano Cebuano language Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino... |
| Jubis (very fat) | Taba (fat) | Tagalog |
| Wish/Wash (nothing) | Wala (nothing) | Tagalog |
| Taroosh (very bitchy) | Taray (bitchy) | Tagalog |
| Ititch (this one) | Ito (this one) | Tagalog |
| Anech (what, usually exclamatory Exclamation Exclamation may refer to:* Exclamation mark, the punctuation mark "!"* Exclamation, an emphatic sentence* Exclamation, an emphatic interjection* Exclamation, a statement against penal interest in criminal law* Exclamation, a fragrance by Coty, Inc.... ) |
Ano (what) | Tagalog |
- Replacing "a", "o", or "u" sounds with "or", "er", or "ur", especially directly before or after the consonant "l".
| Swardspeak | Original Word | Language of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Heller | Hello | English |
| Churchill | Sosyal (high society High society High society may refer to:* Upper class, group of people at the top of a social hierarchy* Gentry, origin Old French genterie, from gentil ‘high-born, noble* High society , social grouping which socialites may be affiliated with.... ) |
Tagalog (from Spanish 'Social') |
| Kalurkey | Kaloka (insanely [entertaining], maddening, crazy) | Tagalog (from Spanish 'loca') |
| Gander | Ganda (beautiful) | Tagalog |
- Inverting the letter order of a word, similar to Tagalog syllable switching slang. It is predominantly used in CebuanoCebuano languageCebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
swardspeak.
| Swardspeak | Original Word | Language of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ilij (no, not) | Dili (no, not) | Cebuano |
| Bayu (lover, boyfriend) | Uyab (lover) | Cebuano |
| Nial (bad, unpleasant) | Lain (bad, unpleasant) | Cebuano |
- Word playWord playWord play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
, punPunThe pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s, malapropismMalapropismA malapropism is an act of misusing or the habitual misuse of similar sounding words, especially with humorous results. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes".-Etymology:...
s, code-switchingCode-switchingIn linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
, onomatopoeic words that resemble preexisting words, and deliberately incorrectPseudo-AnglicismPseudo-anglicisms are words in languages other than English which were borrowed from English but are used in a way native English speakers would not readily recognize or understand. Pseudo-anglicisms often take the form of portmanteau words, combining elements of multiple English words to create a...
Anglicization of words.
| Swardspeak | Original Word(s) | Language of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Crayola (to cry, to be sad) | Cry | English |
| Antibiotic (obnoxious, unpleasant) | Antipatika (obnoxious, unpleasant) | Tagalog (from Spanish Spanish language Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the... 'antipática') |
| Liberty (free) | Libre (free) | Tagalog (from Spanish 'libre') |
| Career/Karir ('to take seriously', used as a verb) | Career | English |
| Fillet O'Fish (to be attracted to someone) | Feel (to sympathize) | English |
| Kape / Capuccino / Coffeemate (to be realistic) | 'Wake up and smell the coffee.' (a Philippine English humorous corruption of 'Wake up and smell the roses') | Philippine English Philippine English Philippine English is the variety of English used in the Philippines by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog.English is used in education,... |
| Wrangler (old, particularly old gay men) | Gurang (old) | Hiligaynon Hiligaynon language Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,... |
| Chiminey Cricket (housemaid) | Deliberate corruption of Jiminy Cricket Jiminy Cricket Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940... , Chimay (Tagalog slang for housemaid) |
Tagalog |
| Pocahontas (prostitute) | Pokpok (slang for 'prostitute) | Tagalog |
| Pagoda Cold Wave Lotion (tired, exhausted) | A locally available brand of lotion Lotion A lotion is a low- to medium-viscosity, topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity.Lotions are usually applied to external skin with bare hands, a clean cloth, cotton wool or gauze... , Pagod (tired, exhausted) |
Tagalog |
| Mudra (mother, also used to refer to female friends with children) | Madre (mother) | Spanish Spanish language Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the... |
| Hammer (prostitute) | Pokpok (slang for 'prostitute), Pokpok (onomatopoeic Tagalog word 'to pound', 'to hammer') | Tagalog, English |
| Biyuti/Beyooti (beautiful, pretty) | Beauty, word play of Cebuano Bayot ('gay') | English, Cebuano |
| Silahis (bisexual male) | Silahis ([sun]beam, ray) | Tagalog |
| Boyband (fat kid) | A pun Pun The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,... on Baboy (Tagalog for 'pig') |
Tagalog, English |
| G.I. Joe (A foreign lover, particularly American United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... ) |
Acronym for 'Gentleman Idiot' | English |
| Opposition Party (A social occasion Party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well.... with a lot of expected problems) |
Pun on Opposition (politics) Opposition (politics) In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country... |
English |
- References to popular culture, usually celebrities or TV shows. They can be selected to replace a word in reference to the things they were famous for, simply because parts of the words rhyme, or both.
| Swardspeak | Original Word/Concept | Derived From |
|---|---|---|
| Julie Yap-Daza (to be caught [cheating]) | Huli (Tagalog 'to be caught') | 'Julie' rhymes with 'Huli' and Julie Yap-Daza is a writer locally famous for writing the book 'Etiquette for Mistresses' |
| Gelli de Belen (jealous) | Jealous | Gelli de Belen Gelli de Belen Gelli de Belen is a Filipino actress, and former child star. She is the sister of former child star Janice de Belen.-Early life:Born Anna Gianelli De Belen on May 25, 1973. She is the sister of actress and TV host Janice de Belen... |
| Tommy Lee Jones (hungry) | Tom-guts (Tagalog syllable switching slang for 'gutom', hungry) | Tommy Lee Jones Tommy Lee Jones Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive.... |
| X-Men (formerly appearing to be heterosexual, coming out Coming out Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.... , especially from being hypermasculine Hypermasculinity Hypermasculinity is a psychological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, body hair, body odor, and virility. This term can be pejorative, though it is also used when examining the behavior dispassionately.One of the first... to effeminate) |
'Ex-man' | X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... |
| Fayatollah Kumenis (thin) | Payat (Tagalog 'thin') | Ayatollah Khomeini |
| Barbra Streisand (to be rejected bluntly, blocked) | Bara (Tagalog 'to block') | Barbara Streisand |
| Murriah Carrey (cheap) | Mura (Tagalog 'cheap') | Mariah Carrey |
| Lupita Kashiwahara (cruel) | Lupit (Tagalog 'cruel') | Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara (A Filipina Movie and TV director) |
| Carmi Martin (karma) | Karma | Carmi Martin |
| Rita Gomez (irritating, annoying) | Nakaka-irita (Tagalog 'irritating') | Rita Gomez |
| Mahalia Jackson (expensive) | Mahal (Tagalog 'expensive', 'precious', 'dear') | Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"... |
| Anaconda (traitor, to betray) | Ahas (Tagalog slang, 'to betray', literally 'snake') | Anaconda (film) Anaconda (film) Anaconda is a 1997, adventure-horror film, directed by Luis Llosa, starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Owen Wilson, and Eric Stoltz. It centers around a film crew for National Geographic who are kidnapped by a hunter who is going after the world's largest giant anaconda, which is... |
| Badinger Z (homosexual) | Bading (Tagalog derogatory slang 'homosexual') | Mazinger Z Mazinger Z , known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In... |
| Taxina Hong Kingston ([to wait for a] taxicab Taxicab A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice... ) |
Taxi | Maxine Hong Kingston Maxine Hong Kingston Maxine Hong Kingston is a Chinese American author and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated with a BA in English in 1962. Kingston has written three novels and several works of non-fiction about the experiences of Chinese immigrants living in the United... |
| Noel Coward (No) | No | Noel Coward Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy... |
| Oprah Winfrey (promise) | Promise | Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011... |
| Sharon Cuneta (Yes, Sure) | Sure | Sharon Cuneta Sharon Cuneta Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan, better known as Sharon Cuneta, is a popular and multi-awarded Filipino singer, actress and TV host dubbed as Megastar of Philippine Entertainment, fondly called Mega by fans and people from the entertainment industry.... |
| Jesus Christ Superstar/Optimus Prime (Fashion make-over, to change into [more fashionable] clothing) | Resurrection, Transformation | Jesus Christ Superstar Jesus Christ Superstar Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971... , Optimus Prime Optimus Prime Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons... |
- Borrowed words from other languages, particularly long disused Spanish words in the Philippines (which has feminine forms of words preferred in Swardspeak that is absent in most Filipino languages), English, and Japanese.
| Swardspeak | Definition | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Drama | Melodrama, exaggeration, drama [queen] | English |
| Carry/Keri | To carry [oneself well] | English |
| Siete Pecados | Nosy, Gossipmonger | Spanish 'seven sins' |
| Puñeta | General profanity Profanity Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The... , roughly equivalent to 'fuck Fuck "Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,... ' |
Spanish slang, with varying degrees of perceived obscenity. Literally translates as 'in a fist' |
| Chiquito | Small | Spanish 'small' |
| Coño | High society High society High society may refer to:* Upper class, group of people at the top of a social hierarchy* Gentry, origin Old French genterie, from gentil ‘high-born, noble* High society , social grouping which socialites may be affiliated with.... , especially [affluent] socialites who speak Taglish Taglish Taglish is a portmanteau of the words "Tagalog" and "English" which refers to the Philippine language Tagalog infused with American English terms. It is an example of code-switching.... exclusively |
Spanish slang 'vagina' |
| Otoko | Manly man | Japanese Japanese language is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an... 男 (otoko) |
| Berru | Beer | Japanese ビール (bīru) |
| Watashi | Me, I | Japanese 私 (watashi) |
Examples
- Translation of the traditional Filipino nursery rhyme 'Ako ay may lobo' (I have a balloon) into Swardspeak.
| Original Version | Translation into Swardspeak | Approximate English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ako ay may lobo Lumipad sa langit Di ko na nakita Pumutok na pala Sayang lang ang pera, Pinambili ng lobo Sa pagkain sana, Nabusog pa ako. |
Aketch ai may lobing Flylalou sa heaven Witchels ko na nasightness Jumutok lang pala Sayang lang ang anda Pinang buysung ng lobing Kung lafangertz sana Nabusog pa aketch |
I had a balloon It flew up in the sky I can't see it anymore [I didn't know] it had popped Wasted my money Buying the balloon If I had bought food instead At least I would have been satisfied |
- Translation of the traditional Filipino nursery rhyme 'Bahay Kubo' (Nipa hutNipa HutThe nipa hut also known as bahay kubo, is an indigenous house used in the Philippines. The native house has traditionally been constructed with bamboo tied together and covered with a thatched roof using nipa/anahaw leaves....
) into Swardspeak.
| Original Version | Translation into Swardspeak | Approximate English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Bahay kubo, kahit munti Ang halaman duon, Ay sari-sari Singkamas, at talong, Sigarilyas at mani Sitaw, bataw, patani Kundol, patola, upo’t kalabasa At saka meron pa Labanos, mustasa Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya Sa paligid-ligid Ay puno ng linga |
Valer kuberch, kahit jutay Ang julamantrax denchi, Ay anek-anek. Nyongkamas at nutring, Nyogarilyas at kipay. Nyipay, nyotaw, jutani. Kundol, jotola, jupot jolabastrax At mega join-join pa Jobanos, nyustasa, Nyubuyak, nyomatis, nyowang at luyax And around the keme Ay fulnes ng linga. |
Nipa hut, even though it is small The plants it houses Are varied Turnip and eggplant, Winged bean and peanut String bean, hyacinth bean, lima bean. Wax gourd, luffa, white squash and pumpkin, And there is also radish, mustard, Onion, tomato, Garlic, and ginger And all around Are sesame seeds. |
See also
- Bahasa BinanBahasa BinanBahasa Binan is a dialect of Indonesian originating with the gay community. It has several regular patterns of word formation and is documented in both writing and speech....
, a similar dialect in Indonesia - Gayle language, an Afrikaans-based gay argot
- IsiNgqumoIsiNgqumoIsiNgqumo is an argot used by the homosexuals of South Africa and Zimbabwe who speak Bantu languages, as opposed to Gayle, a language used by the homosexuals of South Africa who speak Germanic languages. IsiNgqumo developed during the 1980s...
, a South African gay argot based on the Bantu languages - Lavender linguisticsLavender linguisticsLavender linguistics is a term used by linguists, most notably William Leap, to describe the study of language used by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer speakers. It "encompass[es] a wide range of everyday language practices" in LGBTQ communities. The term derives from the longterm...
- LGBT culture in the Philippines
- LGBT slang
- Manila SoundManila soundManila Sound is a musical genre in the Philippines that begun in the early 1970s in Manila, flourished and peaked in the mid to late 1970s, and waned in popularity by the early 1980s...
, a musical genre from the Philippines often characterized by the use of swardspeak - PolariPolariPolari is a form of cant slang used in Britain by actors, circus and fairground showmen, criminals, prostitutes, and by the gay subculture. It was popularised in the 1960s by camp characters Julian and Sandy in the popular BBC radio show Round the Horne...
, cant slang used in Britain