Tagalog language: origin and characteristics

Tagalog is the language of the modern Philippines. Want to know where they speak Tagalog, the country in which the Tagalog language is most prevalent and what are its characteristics? This article will answer all your questions.

Where they speak Tagalog language?

The Tagalog - one of the major languages of the Republic of the Philippines. More than 50 million people living in the Philippines, mostly in the southern part of Luzon (the largest island of the Philippine archipelago), speak the Tagalog language. There are also other dialects, such as Cebuano, complex, waray-waray, hiligaynon, pangasinense, bikol, maranao, Maguindanao, chausovsky and kapampangans. However, the official language, "Filipino" based on Tagalog. Since 1940, Filippino studied in schools across the country.

The Tagalog language also is widespread in other countries. So, in the UK, it ranks sixth among all the languages used in the country.

Origins

The name of the Tagalog language "Tagalog" comes from the words "taga-ilog" which literally means "of the river." Tagalog - the Austronesian language belongs to the Malay-Polynesian branch. Over four centuries of colonial domination on the English language highly influenced by some other languages such as Malay and Chinese, and later still the Spanish and American English. This influence is apparent in the Tagalog words and writing.

The Script

The First book in the Tagalog language "Christian doctrine", published in 1593. The first grammatical rules of Tagalog and dictionaries were created by Spanish priests during the 300 year occupation of the Philippines. Although sometimes I believe that in ancient times, in every province in the Philippines had their own alphabet, Spanish writers of the XVI century, wrote that during contact of the Philippines with Spain is the use of writing was found only in Manila, the current capital of the state. On other Islands writing spread later, in the mid-16th century.

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In Tagalog has its own system of writing based on the ancient writing Baybayin (from Tagalog "baybay", which means "to write") using slodowy alphabet. This alphabet was in Vogue until the 17th century, when it finally are romanized Spanish colonizers. Even modern alphabet several times underwent changes, gradually it appeared more and more sounds of Spanish and English languages. Currently, sometimes you can still see the script of baybayin, but generally only for ornamental purposes, although in the history there were attempts to revive its use.

Borrowing

In Tagalog thousands of borrowed words, particularly from Spanish. In the Philippines taglish also very common, especially in modern areas. It's kind of a mix of Tagalog and English. In oral and written Tagalog along with words of Spanish origin are also often used English words (often written completely in accordance with the rules of Tagalog pronunciation). Some of these loan words have their equivalents in Tagalog, but they are mainly used only in formal and literary language. However many borrowed words still have no equivalents in Tagalog. This is largely due to the fact that many things and concepts did not exist in the country before the arrival of the people of the West.

Below are some examples of loanwords in Tagalog:

However, despite all the borrowing, the richness of the Tagalog language remains unchanged. Foreign words are not included in the language just like that without change. Borrowing words from other languages, Tagalog adapts them to their culture using a complex system of word formation that allows any borrowed noun to turn into a verb or Vice versa.

Glossary

Below are some words and sentences that will help you to maintain a simple dialogue in the Tagalog language and will allow to navigate in a foreign country.