Swardspeak
Swardspeak (also known as gay speak[1] or "gay lingo") is an argot or cant slang derived from Taglish (Tagalog-English code-switching) and used by a number of LGBT people in the Philippines.[2][3]
Description
Swardspeak uses elements from Tagalog, English, Spanish, and some from Japanese, as well as celebrities' names and trademark brands, giving them new meanings in different contexts.[4] It is largely localized within gay communities, making use of words derived from the local languages, including Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Waray and Bicolano.
Usage
A defining trait of swardspeak slang is that it more often than not 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, even non-members of the gay community have been known to use this way of speaking, e.g. heterosexual members of industries dominated by gays, such as the fashion and film industries.
Swardspeak as a 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, allowing its speakers to shape the language as they see fit, with relation to current 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 and interpretations.[5]
Origin
The word "swardspeak", according to José Javier Reyes, was coined by columnist and film critic Nestor Torre in the 1970s. Reyes himself wrote a book on the subject entitled Swardspeak: A Preliminary Study.[6] "Sward" is an outdated slang for 'gay male' in the Philippines.[7] The origin of the individual words and phrases, however, has existed longer and come from a variety of sources.[8]
Conventions
Swardspeak is a form of slang (and therefore highly dynamic, as opposed to colloquialisms) that is built upon preexisting languages. It deliberately transforms or creates words that resemble words from other languages, particularly English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. It is colorful, witty, and humorous, with vocabularies derived from popular culture and regional variations.[9] It is unintelligible to people not familiar with the Filipino gay culture or who do not know the rules of usage.[10] There is no standardized set of rules, but some of the more common conventions are shown below:[11]
- 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: Jowabelle/Jowabels) | Asawa (spouse, usually female) | Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon |
| Gora (variant diminutive: Gorabelle/Gorabels) | Puntá (to go [to a place]) | Tagalog |
| Shupatembang, Shupated, Jupiter | Kapatíd (sibling) | Tagalog |
| Shunga | Tangá (idiot) | Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon |
| Julalay | Alalay (assistant) | Tagalog |
- Replacing the first letter/syllable of words with the diphthongs "Ky-" or "Ny-".
| Swardspeak | Original word | Language of origin |
|---|---|---|
| Kyota | Batà (child) | Tagalog |
| Nyorts | Shorts | English |
| Nyormville | FarmVille | English |
| Kyoho | Mabahò (stinking) | Tagalog |
- Replacing the end syllable of words with "-ash", "-is", "-iz", "-ish", "-itch", "-ech", "-ush", or "-oosh" as a diminutive or augmentative suffix.
| Swardspeak | Original word | Language of origin |
|---|---|---|
| Jotis (a very small amount) | Jutay (a small amount) | Cebuano, Hiligaynon |
| Jubis (very fat) | obese | English |
| Jomba | fat | English |
| Taroosh (very bitchy) | Taray (bitchy) | Tagalog |
| Baboosh (goodbye) | Babay/Bye-bye | Philippine English |
| Itech (this) | Itó (this) | Tagalog |
| Sinetch (who) | Sinó (who) | Tagalog |
| Anech? (what, usually exclamatory) | Anó? (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Haller/Heller | Hello | English |
| Churchill | Sosyál (high society) | Tagalog (from Spanish social) |
| Kalurkey | Kaloka (insanely [entertaining], maddening, crazy) | Tagalog (from Spanish loca) |
| Gander | Gandá (beautiful) | Tagalog |
| Walley | Walâ (nothing) | Tagalog |
- Inverting the letter order of a word, similar to Tagalog syllable switching slang. It is predominantly used in Cebuano swardspeak.[12]
| 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, Hiligaynon |
- Word play, puns, malapropisms, code-switching, onomatopoeic words that resemble preexisting words, and deliberately incorrect Anglicization of words.
| Swardspeak | Original word(s) | Language of origin |
|---|---|---|
| Crayola (to cry, to be sad) | Cry | English |
| Antibiotic (obnoxious, unpleasant) | Antipátika (obnoxious, unpleasant) | Tagalog (from Spanish antipática) |
| Liberty (free) | Libre (free) | Tagalog (from Spanish libre) |
| Career/Karír ('to take seriously', used as a verb, e.g. karirin, "to career", kinareer) | Career | English |
| Fillet O'Fish (to be attracted to someone) | Feel (to sympathize) | English |
| Kapé / Capuccino / Coffeemate (to be realistic) | 'Wake up and smell the coffee.' (a humorous corruption of 'Wake up and smell the roses') | Philippine English |
| Thundercats (old, or the elderly, particularly old gay men) | Matandà (old) | Tagalog |
| Chiminey Cricket (housemaid) | Deliberate corruption of Jiminy Cricket, Chimáy (Tagalog slang for housemaid) | Tagalog |
| Warla (war, fight, quarrel) | War | English |
| Nota (penis) | Description as musical note | Tagalog |
| Pocahontas (prostitute) | Pokpok (slang for 'prostitute') | Tagalog |
| Pagoda Cold Wave Lotion (tired, exhausted) | A locally available brand of cold wave lotion for setting permanent waves, and pagód (tired, exhausted) | Tagalog |
| Mudra (mother, also used to refer to female friends with children) | Madre (mother) | Spanish, Portuguese |
| Pudra (father, also used to refer to male friends with children) | Padre (father) | Spanish, Portuguese |
| 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, often flamboyant) | Silahis ([sun]beam, ray) | Tagalog |
| Boyband (fat kid) | A pun on Tagalog baboy ('pig') | Tagalog, English |
| G.I. Joe (A foreign lover, particularly American) | Acronym for 'Gentleman Idiot' | English |
| Opposition Party (a social occasion with a lot of expected problems) | Pun on political opposition | English |
| Egyptian Airlines (jeep) | jeep (or dyip in Tagalog) | English |
| Geisha (he is gay) | gay siya | English, Tagalog |
- 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 or concept | Derived from |
|---|---|---|
| Julie Andrew (to be caught cheating) | Hulì (Tagalog, 'to be caught') | 'Julie' rhymes with 'Huli', and references the British actress Julie Andrews |
| Gelli de Belén (jealous) | Jealous | Gelli de Belen |
| Winnie Cordero (to win, have won) | Win | Winnie Cordero |
| Luz Valdez (to lose, have lost) | Lose | Luz Valdez |
| Toy Story (toy, or any other kind of plaything) | toy | Toy Story |
| Julanis Morrisette (raining) | ulan (Tagalog, 'rain') | Alanis Morissette |
| Jinit Jackson (hot weather) | init (Tagalog, 'hot') | Janet Jackson |
| Tommy Lee Jones / Tom Jones (hungry) | Tom-guts (Tagalog syllable switching slang for gutóm, hungry) | Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Jones |
| Stress Drilon (stress) | stress | Ces Oreña-Drilon |
| Haggardo Versoza (haggard) | haggard (exhausted, tired) | Gardo Versoza |
| X-Men (formerly appearing to be heterosexual, coming out, especially from being hypermasculine to effeminate) | 'Ex-man' | X-Men |
| Fayatollah Kumenis (thin) | Payát (Tagalog, 'thin') | Ayatollah Khomeini |
| Barbra Streisand (to be rejected bluntly, blocked) | Bará (Tagalog, 'to block', including verbally) | Barbra Streisand |
| Muriah Carrey (cheap) | Mura (Tagalog, 'cheap') | Mariah Carey |
| Lupita Kashiwahara (cruel) | Lupít (Tagalog, 'cruel') | Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara (A Filipina film and television director, and sister of assassinated Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.) |
| Carmi Martin (karma) | Karma | Carmi Martin |
| Rita Gómez (irritating, annoying) | Nakaka-iritá (Tagalog, 'irritating') | Rita Gómez |
| Mahalia Jackson (expensive) | Mahál (Tagalog 'expensive', 'precious', 'dear') | Mahalia Jackson |
| Anaconda (traitor, to betray) | Ahas (Tagalog slang, 'to betray', literally 'snake') | Anaconda (film) |
| Badinger Z (homosexual) | Badíng (Tagalog derogatory slang 'homosexual') | Mazinger Z (manga) |
| Taxina Hong Kingston (to wait for a taxicab) | Taxi | Maxine Hong Kingston |
| Noël Coward (No) | No | Noël Coward |
| Oprah Winfrey (promise) | Promise | Oprah Winfrey |
| Sharon Cuneta (yes, sure) | Sure | Sharon Cuneta |
| Jesus Christ Superstar/Optimus Prime (Fashion makeover, to change into more fashionable clothing) | Resurrection, Transformation | Jesus Christ Superstar, Optimus Prime |
- 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.[13]
| Swardspeak | Definition | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Drama (also means the adjective 'dramatic') | Melodrama, exaggeration, drama [queen] | English |
| Carry/Keri | To carry [oneself well], manageable | English |
| Siete Pecados | Nosy, gossipmonger | Spanish, 'seven sins' |
| Puñeta (also spelt punyeta) | General profanity, roughly equivalent to 'fuck' | Spanish slang, with varying degrees of perceived obscenity. Literally 'in a fist'. |
| Chiquito | Small | Spanish, 'small' |
| Coño (also spelt 'konyo') | High society, especially [affluent] socialites who speak Taglish exclusively | Spanish slang, 'vagina' |
| Otoko | fangirl octopus | Japanese, 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.[14]
| Original version | Translation into swardspeak | Approximate English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ako ay may lobo Lumipád sa langit |
Aketch ai may lobing Flylalou sa heaven |
I had a balloon It flew up to the sky |
- Translation of the traditional Filipino nursery rhyme Bahay Kubò (Nipa hut) into swardspeak.
| Original version | Translation into swardspeak | Approximate English translation[15] |
|---|---|---|
| Bahay kubò, kahit muntî Ang halaman doón, |
Valer kuberch, kahit jutey Ang julamantrax denchi, |
Nipa hut, though it be small The plants it houses |
See also
- Tagalog profanity
- Bahasa Binan, a similar dialect in Indonesia
- Gayle language, an Afrikaans-based gay argot
- IsiNgqumo, a South African gay argot based on the Bantu languages
- Lavender linguistics
- LGBT culture in the Philippines
- LGBT slang
- Manila sound, a musical genre from the Philippines often characterized by the use of swardspeak
- Polari, cant slang used in Britain
References
- Alba, Reinerio A. (2006-06-05). "In Focus: The Filipino Gayspeak (Filipino Gay Lingo)". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Archived from the original on 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- Empress Maruja (27 July 2007). "Deciphering Filipino Gay Lingo". United SEA. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- Leap, William (2013). Globalization and Gay Language. 350 Main Street, Malden: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 558. ISBN 978-1-4051-7581-4.CS1 maint: location (link)
- Jessica Salao (30 April 2010). "Gayspeak: Not for gays only". thepoc.net. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- Cynthia Grace B. Suguitan. "A SEMANTIC LOOK AT FEMININE SEX AND GENDER TERMS IN PHILIPPINE GAY LINGO" (PDF). University of the Philippines. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- Reinerio A. Alba (June 5, 2006). "The Filipino Gayspeak (Filipino Gay Lingo)". ncca.gov.ph. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- "GAY SPEAKS on "SWARDSPEAK"". badinggerzie.blogspot.com. May 13, 2005. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- Norberto V. Casabal (August 2008). "Gay Language: Defying the Structural Limits of English Language in the Philippines". Kritika Kultura, Issue 11. Kritika Kultura. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- Danton Remoto (2008-05-05). "On Philippine gay lingo". abs-cbnnews.com. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- "Gay Lingo (Made in the Philippines)". doubletongued.org. November 16, 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- Empress Maruja (27 July 2007). "Deciphering Filipino Gay Lingo". United SEA. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- Reinerio A. Alba (June 5, 2006). "The Filipino Gayspeak (Filipino Gay Lingo)". ncca.gov.ph. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- "Gay Lingo Collections". July 5, 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- Norberto V. Casabal (August 2008). "GAY LANGUAGE: DEFYING THE STRUCTURAL LIMITS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES". Kritika Kultura, Issue 11. Kritika Kultura. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- Lisa Yannucci. "Philippines Children's Songs and Nursery Rhymes". mamalisa.com. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
Bibliography
- DV Hart, H Hart. Visayan Swardspeak: The language of a gay community in the Philippines - Crossroads, 1990
- Manalansan, Martin F. IV. “’Performing’ the Filipino Gay Experiences in America: Linguistic Strategies in a Transnational Context.” Beyond the Lavender Lexicon: Authenticity, Imagination and Appropriation in Lesbian and Gay Language. Ed. William L Leap. New York: Gordon and Breach, 1997. 249–266
- Manalansan, Martin F. IV. “Global Divas: Filipino Gay Men in the Diaspora”, Duke University Press Books, November 19, 2003. ISBN 978-0-8223-3217-6
