Republic of the Philippines

University of Eastern Philippines

GRADUATE STUDIES
University Town, Northern Samar

COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, PLEASE?

(A Self-Authored Article
on Filipinisms)

In partial fulfillment of
the requirements in the course
Language and Literature 807
(Structure of English)

Submitted by:
MARK P. BONABON
MALL 2

Submitted to:
Prof. VILLA C. CARPIO, DALT
Course Professor

COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, PLEASE?

by Mark P. Bonabon

Basically, I am no renowned linguist to sound like

well-versed on this stuff. I am just a greenhorn English
teacher, and thus still have to take a good fill and feel of
the English language. I only wish to share with you a little
of my minds fill, and a lot of its vacuity.
Actually, I have just committed a language faux pas, a
Filipinism,

at

the

very

beginning

of

the

preceding

paragraph. See how incompetent I am? The adverb, basically,

as it is used above may not sound quite right to a native
English speaker. Basically became a well-adapted expression
of Filipino English speakers which usually functions like a
filler or hesitator.
How shameless writer I am! So, do you still mind if you
carry on reading? If your answer is affirmative, and indeed
intends to read on, you are committing another blunder.
Saying

yes

would

mean

that

its

only

waste

of

your

precious time perusing this article. Your response should

have been No, not at all or No, I dont mind at all.
Well, I ask you an apology for my candidness. What? Do
you notice that Im getting worse with my semantics? Here is

the thing. If I ask you an apology, it means that you have

wronged me, and not the other way around. Its logical and
lucid version should appear like I apologize to you or I
should make an apology.
Am I making sense? By the way, why should we make such
a big fuss about this issue? Fool may I be to answer my own
question, but here it goes: Filipinisms or loosely termed,
Philippine

English

is

bastardization

of

language

(English) or an indigenization of it according to Walter

Ang in his article, 8 Instances of Filipino English vs.
American English. Moreover, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defined bastardize as to reduce from a higher to a lower
state

or

condition,

indigenous

and

indigenize,

characteristics.

to

Talking

cause

to

have

about

the

bastardization of the English language, the worlds lingua

franca, is definitely a gargantuan problem especially to
language purists or prescriptive grammarians. Indigenization
of

the

English

attributed

to

language,

the

on

the

first-language

other

hand,

interference

may

be

which

is

manifested through transliteration or verbatim translation

in English of a Filipino term (e. g., open the light is a
transliteration of buksan ang ilaw). Indigenization may
not

sound

as

bad

as

bastardization

but

both

connote

something unwholesome about Filipinos. So now, is this issue

not

crucially

detrimental

to

the

Pinoys

professional

reputation as good speakers of the English tongue?

Hence, to minimize the use or to get rid of Filipinisms
altogether, lets peruse a roster of them below taken from
the anonymous article, Using Filipinisms: A Native English
Speakers Pet Peeve published online on June 5, 2013.

FILIPINISM

WHY ITS WRONG

ITS BETTER TO SAY

Free
subscription of

Preposition use

Free subscription to

Its for free

Inappropriate word
use (for)

Its free. / Its free

of charge. / Were
sending it to you for
free.

Hold your
line/For a
while

Sounds absurd (Hold

your line), Caller
would expect a
longer waiting time
(for a while)

Would you mind if I

put you on hold for a
second? / Please hold

Open/close (for
appliances,
Its like referring
office
to an item for
equipment and
repair
lights)

Turn on/off

Yes, Ill
Confusing mainly
No, not at all. / No,
wait. (in
because of the YES I dont mind at all.
response to Do
word

you mind
waiting?)

Anything?

Sounds vague

Ill ask her an

Confusing/illogical
apology.

Is there anything I
can do for you? / How
may I help you?

Ill apologize to her.

/ I should make an
apology.

Tuck out

Term not recognized

in American/British
English

Untuck

He was
salvaged.

Misuse of the word

salvaged, which
means saving
something from being
destroyed

He was assassinated.

She delivered
her baby
yesterday.

Subject-verb
confusion

She had her baby

yesterday. / Dr. Smith
delivered her baby.

Oppositor

Term not recognized

in American/British
English

Opposition member

Hand carry

Term not recognized

in American/British
English

Carry-on luggage

Its traffic
today.

Misuse of the word

traffic

Traffic is heavy.

Senatoriable

Term not recognized

in American/British
English

Senatorial candidate

I failed in
accent
training.

Inappropriate use of
in

I failed accent
training.

Pass by my
office before
you go.

Inappropriate word
choice (pass)

Drop by my office
before you go.

We have one
participant
only.

Redundant term (one

only)

We have one
participant.

Misplaced adverb,
I talked to her used as filler and
already.
talked sounds too
informal

Actually

Word should be used to

explain a
justification of a
Commonly used
different thought or a
filler, or used as known fact The boss
an answer to replace
is actually very
yes
lenient. / Nobody
knows what actually
caused the fight at
the party.

As per Paul,
all request
Incomplete sentence
forms should be
signed by him.

Sewer

I already spoke with

her. / I have already
spoken to her.

Term not recognized

As per Pauls
instructions, all
request forms should
be signed by him.

Tailor (male) or

in American/British
English

Thank you for Sounds confusing and

that/this one.
impolite

seamstress (female)

Thank you for the

information. / Thank
you.

Currently, I
live there
right now.

Redundant
(currently and
right now)

Currently, I live
there. / I live there
right now.

Bottomless

Term not recognized

in American/British
English

Refillable

C.R. / comfort
room

Word not found in

the English
dictionary

restroom, powder
room, bathroom, shower
room, toilet

Fall in line

Term not recognized

in American/British
English

Get into line / Line

up / Make a line

Fll up this
form

Fill up means
pouring something
until completely
filled

Fill out this form

Where are you

studying?

Word choice
(studying) is too
casual

Where do you go to
school? / What school
do you go to?

Could you
Redundant (repeat Could you repeat that?
repeat that
and again),
again, please? inappropriate use of
please in a
sentence that is

obviously a command

Therefore, when an acquaintance would ask me, Where

are you studying?, I would reply, Usually, in my room, and
rarely

in

the

library.

Preposterous

highbrow!

But

Im

afraid that somebody would accuse me of committing a heinous

language crime called Filipinism if I would say, At the
University of Eastern Philippines. Or else, to get rid of
that

insolent

air,

and

to

give

him

all

the

chances

to

rephrase his question (because he may realize he is using

Filipinism), I may inadvertently utter with a mellow voice,
Could you repeat the question again, please? What? Im
even more foolish! If committing a grammar blunder were
tantamount to receiving a severe punishment, my friend might
get a reclusion perpetua, and I would surely get a death
penalty!