Chavacano language

Chavacano (as a proper noun, as a derivative of the Spanish adjective "chabacano," and as it is generally accepted in literature, the broadcast media, and Zamboangeños) or Chabacano (as the Spanish adjective) is the common name for the several varieties of the Philippine Creole Spanish spoken in the Philippines. The word chabacano - which the name Chavacano is derived from - is Spanish for "poor taste," "vulgar," "common," "tasteless," "tacky," or "coarse."

Chavacano speakers are concentrated mostly in Zamboanga City, in the provinces of Zamboanga, Basilan, Cavite, and in some areas of Davao and Cotabato. According to the 2000 census, there are 607,200 speakers. Speakers are also said to be found in one village in Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. Some people of the Muslim ethnic tribes of Zamboanga such as the Tausugs, the Samals, and of Basilan such as the Yakans also speak the language. In the close provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi areas, there are Muslim speakers of the Chabacano de Zamboanga.

Some varieties based on the nearby regions are Davaoeño spoken in Davao and Cotabateño spoken in Cotabato. There are three known varieties of Chabacano which have Tagalog as their substrate language: Caviteño, Ternateño, and Ermitaño (extinct). The other varieties have Cebuano as their substrate language. Zamboangeño is the variety with the most number of speakers, being the main language of Zamboanga City.

The vocabulary is predominantly derived from the Spanish language, while grammar is mostly based on other Philippine languages such as Tagalog and Cebuano. It is used in education, print media, television and radio.

Chabacano? Chavacano? Chabakano?

Zamboangueños usually (but not always) spell the word as Chavacano in reference to the language or to themselves as chavacanos, and they spell the word as chabacano referring to the Spanish meaning of the word and also to the language itself. Thus, Zamboangueños generally spell the word in two different ways. Caviteños, Ternateños, and Ermitaños spell the word as it is spelled originally in the Spanish language - chabacano. Davaoeños, Cotabateños and especially those from Basilan province (de Basilan) tend to lean more on the Zamboangueño spellings. It is important to take note that the varieties of the language are geographically-related. Thus, Ermitaño, Caviteño, and Ternateño are very similar to each other having Tagalog as their substrate language while Zamboangueño, Davaoeño, and Cotabateño are very similar having Visayan or Cebuano as their substrate language. Also, a Zamboangueño would call his variety Zamboangueño or Chavacano de Zamboanga, a Caviteño would call his variety Caviteño or Chabacano de Cavite, and etc. to emphasize the difference from one another using their own geographical location as point of reference.

There are also other alternate names and spellings for this language depending on the varieties and context (whether hispanized or native). Zamboangueños also sometimes call and spell their variety as Chabakano. Caviteño is also known as Caviten while Ermitaño as Ermiteño and Ternateño as Ternateño Chabacano. Davaoeño is also Davaweño, Davawenyo, Davawenyo Zamboangenyo, Abakay Spanish, or Davao Chabacano/Chavacano. Cotabateño is also known as Cotabato Chabacano/Chavacano.

Speakers from Basilan consider their Chavacano as Zamboangueño or Chavacano de Zamboanga.

Historical development

Zamboangueño

On June 23 1635, Zamboanga became a permanent foothold of the Spanish government known as San José Fort. Bombardment of Muslim attackers, harassments of Muslim pirates and the determination to spread Christianity forced friars to request Spanish reinforcements. Zamboanga or San José Fort was also a crucial strategic location.

The military authorities decided to import labor from Luzon and the Visayas. Thus, the construction workforce eventually consisted of Spanish soldiers, masons from Cavite-who comprised the majority, sacadas from Cebu and Iloilo, and those from the various local tribes of Zamboanga like the Samals and Subanons.

Differences in dialect and culture made it difficult for one tribe to communicate with another. To add to this, work instructions were issued in Spanish. The majority of the workers were unschooled and therefore did not understand Spanish but needed to communicate with each other and the Spaniards. A lingua franca developed and became a full-fledged language still in use today, mainly in Zamboanga City.

From then on, constant Spanish military reinforcements as well as increased presence of Spanish religious institutions and educational institutions have fostered the Spanish creole.

Caviteño / Ternateño

The Merdicas were a tribe of Malays of Ternate in the Moluccas which was a small Spanish colony. Before this Ternate was a Portuguese colony. In 1574, the Merdicas volunteered to come to Cavite to support the Spanish against the threat of invasion of the Chinese pirate, Limahong. The invasion did not occur but the community of Merdicas settled in a place called Barra de Maragondon at a sandbar at the mouth of the Maragondon River. Today, the place is called Ternate and the community of Merdicas continued to use broken Spanish which came to be called Ternateño or Ternateño Chavacano.

Samples

(Zamboangueño)

;Donde tu anda?: ( ‘Where are you going?')Ya mirá yo cun José.: ( ‘I saw José.')Ele ya empesá buscá que buscá con el sal.: (‘He/She began to search everywhere for the salt.')Ele ya andá na escuela.: (‘He/She went to school.')Si Mario ya dormí na casa.: (‘Mario slept in the house.')El hombre, quien ya man encuentro tu, amo mi hermano.:(The man [whom] you met is my brother.)El persona cun quien ta conversa tu, bien bueno gayot.: (The person you are talking to is very nice indeed.)

Another Sample of Chavacano de Zamboanga

Trenta'y cuatro kilometro desde'l pueblo de Zamboanga, el Bunguiao que un barrio chico estaba como un desierto. No hay gente quien ta queda acqui.Abundante este lugar de maga animal en particular como puerco, gatorgalla, venao yotro mas pa. Maga pajariador lang ta visita con este lugar.

'Bunguiao, a small village, thirty four kilometers from the city of Zamboanga, was once a wilderness. No people lived here. The place abounded with wild animals like pigs, wildcats, deer, and still others. The place was visited only by (bird) hunters.'

(Caviteño / Ternateño)

;Nisós ya pidí pabor cun su papang.: (‘We have already asked your father for a favor.')

Another Sample of Chavacano de Cavite

Puede nisos habla: que grande nga pala el sacrificio del mga heroe para nisoindependencia. Debe nga pala no niso ulvida con ilos. Ansina ya ba numa?Debe haci niso mga cosa para dale sabi que ta aprecia niso con el mga heroe. Quepreparao din niso haci sacrificio para el pueblo. Que laya? Escribi mganovela como Jose Rizal?

Translation in Zamboangueño:

'Quiere decir, puede kita habla cay el que grande sacrificio gale ya ofrese el di aton maga heroe para obtene kita cun el di aton independencia. Entonces, no debe kita olvida cun ila. Ansina gane, hinde ba? Necesita, dale kita sabe con todos que ta aprecia kita con el di aton maga heroe y preparao tambien kita sacrifica para con el nacion. Pa que laya kita hace? Maga clase de novela como ya escribi si Jose Rizal, el escribi kita?'

In English:

'We can say what great sacrifices our heroes have done to achieve our independence. We should therefore not forget them. Is it like this? We should do things to let it be known that we appreciate the heroes; that we are prepared to make sacrifices for our people. How? [should we] write novels like José Rizal?'

The Lord's Prayer In The Chavacano Language

El Padre Nuestro Na Chavacano De Zamboanga

Tata diamon talli na cielo,
bendito el di Uste nombre.
Manda vene con el di Uste reino;
Hace el di Uste voluntad aqui na tierra,
igual como alli na cielo.

Dale kanamon el pan para cada dia.
Perdona el diamon maga culpa,
como ta perdona kame con aquellos
quien tienne culpa kanamon.
No deja que el cae kame na tentacion
y libra kanamon na mal.

El Reso Del Señor Na Chabacano De Cavite Y Ternate

Niso Tata Qui ta na cielo,
quida santificao Tu nombre.
Manda vini con niso Tu reino;
Sigui el qui quiere Tu aqui na tierra,
igual como na cielo!

Dali con niso ahora,
niso comida para todo el dia.
Perdona el mga culpa di niso,
si que laya ta perdona niso con aquel
mga qui tiene culpa con niso.
No dija qui cai niso na tentacion,
pero salva con niso na malo.

Vocabulary

Forms and Style

Chabacano (especially Zamboangeño) has two levels of usage for words: The common or familiar and formal.

In the common or familiar form, words of local origin or a mixture of local and Spanish words predominate. They are used ordinarily when conversing with people of equal or lower status in society and in the family, with friends and acquaintances. Their use are of general acceptance and usage.

In the formal form, words of Spanish origin predominate. They are used when conversing with elders and those in authority. They are also used especially when conversing with people of higher status in society and family. They are used in speeches, education, media, and writing.

The following examples show a contrast between the usage of formal words and common or familiar words in Chabacano:
Legend:Formal - Common/Familiar - English
*Resbaloso - Malandug - Slippery
*Morisqueta - Kanon - Rice
*Aguasero/Aguacerro- Ulan - Rain
*Vianda - Ulam - Dish
*Orgulloso - Hambugero/Bugalon - Braggart/Boastful
*Coche - Auto/Awto- Car
*Muchacha - Ayudanta/Ayudante - Housemaid
*Papa - Tata - Father
*Mama - Nana - Mother
*Abuelo - Lolo - Grandfather
*Abuela - Lola - Grandmother
*Chico - Diutay - Small
*Fastidio - Malihug - Nuisance or one who cannot stay still
*Testaduro - Duro Cabeza/Duro Pulso - Hard-headed

Grammar

Pronouns

Chavacano pronouns are based on native (Tagalog and Cebuano) and Spanish sources; many of the pronouns are not used in either but may be derived in part.

In Chavacano de Zamboanga, there are three different levels of usage for certain pronouns depending on the level of familiarity between the speaker and the addressee, the status of both in family and society, or the mood of the speaker and addressee at the particular moment: common, familiar, and formal. The common forms are, particularly in the second and third person plural, derived from Cebuano while most familiar and formal forms are from Spanish. The common forms are used to address a person below or of equal social or family status or to someone is who is acquainted. The common forms are used to regard no formality or courtesy in conversation. Its use can also mean rudeness, impoliteness or offensiveness. The familiar forms are used to address someone of equal social or family status. It indicates courteousness, and is commonly used in public conversations, the broadcast media, and in education. The formal forms are used to address someone older and/or higher in social or family status. It is the form used in writing.

Additionally, Zamboangueño is the only variety of Chavacano which distinguishes between the inclusive we (kita) - including the person spoken to (the addressee) - and the exclusive we (kame) - excluding the person spoken to (the addressee) - in the first person plural except in the formal form where nosotros is used for both.

Below is a chart comparing the personal pronouns in three varieties of Chavacano.

	Zamboangueño	Caviteño	Ternateño
1st person singular	iyo yo	yo
2nd person singular	evo(s) (common) vo(s) (common) tu (familiar) uste (formal)	tu vo uste	vo uste
3rd person singular	el ele	eli
1st person plural	kame (exclusive) kita (inclusive) nosotros (formal)	nisos	mijotro motro
2nd person plural	kamo (common) vosotros (familiar) ustedes (formal)	vusos	ustedi tedi
3rd person plural	sila (common & familiar) ellos (formal)	ilos	lojotro lotro

False Friends and False Cognates: Spanish words that have changed in meaning

:En denantes - a while ago (Spanish: hace un tiempo)

:Take note that "En denantes" is an archaic Spanish phrase. Modern Spanish would express the phrase as "poco antes de hoy" or "hace un tiempo," but Chabacano still retains this archaic Spanish phrase and many other archaic Spanish words.

Chabacano has preserved plenty of archaic Spanish words in its vocabulary that modern Spanish no longer use, that has evolved, or that has acquired a totally different meaning. Hence, some of these words have become false friends.

'Ya' denotes past tense. (Spanish: ya - already)

Siguro/Seguro means 'maybe'. (Spanish: seguro - sure, secure, stable)

Syempre/Siempre means 'of course'. (Spanish: siempre - always)

Pirmi means 'always'. (Spanish: firme - firm, steady)

Basta means 'as long as'. (Spanish: basta - enough)

Maske/Maskin means 'even (if)'. (Spanish: más que - more than)

The word cerilla is a fine example of a false cognate:

Cerilla means 'earwax'. (Spanish: cerilla - match)

* The Chavacano de Zamboanga Wikipedia at the incubator (currently a test site)
* Early History of Chavacano de Zamboanga A Perspective on Chavacano de Zamboanga's Evolution
* Chavacano: Ethnologue Report on Chavacano.
* Chavacano information
* "Jesus" A two-hour religious film in RealVideo, dubbed in Chavacano
* Chavacano samples More Samples of the Chavacano language
* FilipinoKastilaThe Spanish and Chabacano Situation in the Philippines
* Saavedra's speech at UP
* El Chabacano en español
* Austronesian Elements in Philippine Creole Spanish (pdf)
* Spanish world-wide: the last century of language contacts (PDF)
* Chavacano of Cavite
* Swearsaurus - Chabacano
*Simple grammar

Chavacano language: Encyclopedia BETA

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