The Forum: You Know You’re an Estehanon When…
By Ced Solidon • Nov 12th, 2007 • Category: FeaturesThe Forum is an avenue to know week-by-week which are the most important issues in Eastern Samar right now as well as other lighter topics for discussion. Aside from that, it gives the visitors the chance to discuss it on this blog. Also, the readers have the power to decide which topic to discuss every week.
Each region in the Philippines has its own set of quirks. Good or bad, these quirks help describe each group of people and make them unique. For example, Ilonggos are said to be sweet or malambing while Ilocanos are said to be thrifty.
For this week’s discussion at The Forum, what do you think are those quirks that make Eastern Samareños truly unique? Share them here.
Ced Solidon is the blog's founder. He currently works as a freelance writer. Aside from that, he also maintains a writing blog, Write Like a Rock Star! He loves to read books and play music.
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No comments here yet? Let me drop the first one then. You know an Estehanon when you think a tricycle, jeep or a bus isn’t fully-loaded until it is filled to the roof. Taplod, meyn, top load.
maaram ka magyakan hin waray. nararasahan ka hit salukara. diri ka nag rereklamo hin kabatsihan kay asya na an im nahiaraan nga aragian.
When I think of vehicles, jeep and bus to be more precise, amidst the fully occupied chairs, young Estehanons are very much generous to the old Estehanons in offering their seats. They would prefer to stand the whole excruciating long hours while traveling in the rough roads, just to show respect for our old folks.
In Leyte, particularly in Tacloban City, with the same jeep and bus situation in Este aside from its span of time and bumpy roads, I never saw nor experienced the youth offering their seats to the old people despite the short span of hour in their travel route to the downtown areas!
when you feel week-long brown outs (sic) are normal;
when you call beach picnics as “barakasyon;”
when you look forward to “San Isidro” festivities in the summer;
when you know the song “inday inday, nakain ka?”
until now I still don’t know if I should be happy about the comment about us warray…
Warray kay ISUG!!! We’ll it is good in the sense that it means strength…
However the subtext of this description is not good…
As for myself, I tried to change this conception which i believe is just socially constructed reality by living in contrast to what they believe who we are…
a life of diligence and success…
I could hardly describe what differentiates Estehanons from others. Cedric said, if one takes the “top load”… but in my years of stay in Bohol I also witnessed the same. Maria said, when one speaks Waray… but Taclobanons and Catbaloganons also speak Waray… well, maybe it’s more of the accent like “uu” instead of “oo”. Fhen shared about chivalry… but it’s not akin to being Estehanon as others also practice it especially in Central and Southern Luzon. Meds recounted on the blackouts, going to the beach, singing “Inday, Inday”, and San Isidro Feast… I experienced series of blackouts in Davao Oriental, other people from other places also like going to the beach, and in Quezon, the Feast of St. Isidore is well-celebrated (especially in Lukban, Sariaya, Real, Pagbilao, etc.). King, on the other hand, related on our being brave (maisug)… well, my Tausug and Yakan friends are much braver than us!
While taking my MA History in USC, I tried to conduct a Social Anthropology research with Eastern Samar as my locale but my adviser did not approve because there is no apparent differentiation between Estehanons and other Bisaya.
Although I can tell if one is Estehanon when one will say:
sipit instead of tsinelas
asiti (asiete) instead of mantika
buntas instead of gutom
…or understands what the following means:
dalusaop = roaster
ahang = dog
lawud = water
nagpipiyuhyuh = sleepy
kaulangan (instead of kinahanglan) = need
sinagmitun = thing/s
How about the following cliches?
“sugad hin pinalin nga iti” = went out immediately
“sugad hin nabulikas nga ulot” = surprised
“mata na kay adlawoy na” = even if it’s only 7:00AM
“nanhahapon na it kamanokan” = when it’s already 6:00PM
True, one “could hardly describe what differentiates Estehanons from others.”
It is interesting to read Haruan’s sort of linguistic approach in identifying Estehanon.
I don’t know with other Waray words mentioned above, but words such as ‘lawud’ and ‘kaulangan’ are commonly used or understood by Taclobanon, [certain] Leyteño and other specific Eastern Visayas people.
But if there is something evidently distinct, as I see it, between Estehanons and non-Estehanons, that would be its accent as already described by Haruan.
As to his adviser, I could agree to his/her thought that “there is no apparent differentiation between Estehanons and other Bisaya” as long as it is in the spirit of social anthropology.
But linguistically speaking, they are two sides of the coin so to speak. In my few readings, there are eight major languages in the Philippines today, to name a few, Cebuano Bisaya, Hiligaynon Bisaya, and Waray Bisaya. Obviously, they are all Bisaya yet they are linguistically different!
Fhen:
Estehanons use “kaulangan” and “lawud” in different context. Say:
1. Kaulangan mayda kita sumsuman unina.
2. Ano it im kaulangan ha akon?
3. Juan pag-alog na daw kay wara ta na lawud!
4. Aadto hi Tatay ha lawud nananagat.
Waray-Leyteño ascribes the former as in “the need to” while the latter as ocean.
On the other hand, Waray-Estehanon is not well-established in terms of vowel phonics patterns. For example, we write “papaleta” but we say “papalita”; we write “egendedere” but we say “igindidiri”…
Talk about intonation…
Unlike other places where i’ve been to it’s only in ES where every town (or even every barangay) has its own “punto”… and we ridicule others who don’t have the same “punto” as ours. We charge the “southern people” with maglidung nga “o”…
You cannot distinguish an Estehanon from other Waray natives because you are probably not an Estehanon yourself; simply put, it takes one to know one.
Haruan:
As to your arguments: Waray-Estehanon is not well-established in terms of vowel phonics patterns, and about intonation, I strongly agree with you. In my previous statement, I see no rough deviation from your said argument.
In regards to the context of “kaulangan” and “lawud,” I’d rather put that discussion aside, as of this moment. I am currently consulting few of my co-Lakob members (Leyteño writers, poets etc.) pertaining to this matter. I can speak for myself as a Samareño, but not as a Leyteño.
In anyway, I sent a message to your e-mail ad (e-mail ad that you are using in this site). Kindly read them. I’ll just wait for your positive response.
To the Sinirangan readers and/or commentators:
You are welcome to post your comments and/or ideas pertaining to this discussion. We are not absolutist here. Your opinions are much appreciated.
As of the present time, there is no fix and established consensus (as articulated by Ma’am Merlie Alunan in the previous Lamiraw workshop) regarding the Waray, especially the crucial subjects like spelling, dictionary and even grammar!
Thank you!
i agree nga makuri pag tigo hin usa nga estehanon dara han iba-iba nga mga punto. tama hi haruan, bisan sunod la nga barrio, iba na it ira pagyakan. an taga-sur, naamgid na it ira pagyakan hit taga leyte. mas madali pa siguro pag tigo kun tikang diin nga bungto or barrio ha aton. for example common phrases:
tabtaba! – taga-maytigbao (sulat) maisog.
guin higot ko, guin hobad dama, atara – taga taft
san-o ka tatabok? han tempo la – taga puro
atara an ak ballpin inidlit – taga mantang (taft)
tara, bay! – taga sulat
mayda niyo samsamun? – taga san julian
akay nga manunulay – taga borongan (boronganon or boyonganon)
di ko lugo ika [w] tatagan – taga oras (note nga nawawara an “w” hit ira ikaw.
hala dugtongi ini?
nagamit hit word nga purok-anan, instead hit lingkuranan. (borongan)
Dugtong ko kan kurukutingawngaw
Angol! Mahulos ka! — Dolores
Nga malatay in! ——– Llorente
OK la, kalaw ———— Quinapundan
Hin hahataasan hin sampayan, ginsasaklang! It iya pa gud sapatos may tunok! —- Homonhon (kinita hin taga Esamelco nga nagsaka han poste)
Ay kadadakuan hin salmunan, naandar pa gud! —- Sulangan (kinita hin pula nga tanker han Caltex, kniring niya an sakay lata hin Hakone nga sardinas)
Manda baa, de pa ngane gomawas het lenya de pa ga et estepeng! —— Mabini / San Juan (Sulat)
Manda baa, Buddy! —- Mantang (Where I Belong hehehe)
Hin-o tim upod? Hi Papa na (nga) hi Mama ga (gad) —- Puro (Sulat)
Adi pa:
It taga-Guiuan dw nagpapaksiw hit palawan.
It ginpiprito ha Guiuan, salad.
Nanmumulkas ngani it taga-Guiuan aadto hit sampayan.
pag nakaon ka hin koyog ngan enjoy ka hit bitana