Isinay Words Related to Wildfire

The New Year 2020 monstrous wildfires that have devastated communities, flora, and fauna in Australia have touched the concern of some of my townmates in Dupax. This, through posts and exchanges in Facebook by two persons dear to me who have for decades now been enjoying the paradise down under.

Apart from memories of wildfires myself, the FB exchanges generated by the Australian tragedy have unwittingly unearthed a number of Isinay words related to wildfire. Here:

ATIPE -- particles of burned grass flying from the wildfire site to other areas.

LOHAV -- a big fire. Examples: fire that burns down a house; fire that wipes out vast areas of grassland; fire used to clear felled trees, shrubs, bamboos, vines on forested hillsides preparatory for planting; fire used to dispose off large amounts of tree branches, leaves, trash, etc.

MAN-EYAW-AW -- act or capability of wildfire to flare in huge and disastrous manner.

NA'GOV -- burned or charred, as in a formerly green mountain turning into black.

PANOPDOP -- any material, such as tree branches and bamboo poles, used to swat and put out the flames of the wildfire.

UMANAMUT -- run to the rescue, as when able-bodied residents in the vicinity of the fire are needed to go and help put it off with swatters, otherwise the wildfire would destroy years and years of accomplishment in reforestation.

Birds, Insects and Other Wildlife in Dupax (Part 2)

BIRDS

ammo’: quail [Ilokano: pugo. Filipino: pugo]

bikbiktori: grass warbler [Ilok: kulipattung, kurridong. Fil: ?]

dahwa: white egret [Ilok: kannaway. Fil: tagak]

engah: wild mallard [Ilok: papa. Fil: bibe]

eyaw: rufous hornbill [Ilok: kullaaw, kalaw. Fil: kalaw]

gayang: crow [Ilok: uwak. Fil: uwak]

kalatan: jungle fowl, wild chicken [Ilok: abuyo. Fil: labuyo]

kalupati: dove, pigeon [Ilok: kalapati. Fil: kalapati]

kebkeb: egret [Ilok: kebkeb. Fil: ?]

kiyaw: oriole [Ilok: kilyawan. Fil: kilyawan]

kulasisi: small parrot [Ilok: bullilising. Fil: kulasisi]

kurukutu: turtledove [Ilok: pagaw. Fil: batu-bato]

labban: hawk, brahminy kite [Ilok: kali. Fil: lawin]

loro: parrot [Ilok: loro. Fil: loro]

manaleban: green pigeon [Ilok: alimuken. Fil: punay]

martines: mynah [Ilok: martines. Fil: martines]

osberd: housebird, domestic sparrow [Ilok: Fil: mayang-bahay]

pinuu’: yellow-vented bulbul [Ilok: pirruka. Fil: pulangga]

pipingngaw: swiftlet, swallow [Ilok: salsalapingaw. Fil: layang-layang]

pitopit: night cuckoo [Ilok: Fil: ?]

plepplew, kulepplew: bee-eater [Ilok: pirpiriw. Fil: putyokan]

seyahsa’: kingfisher [Ilok: salaksak. Fil: susulbot, piskador]

sehseh: fantail [Ilok: ? Fil: ?]

siboh: rail [Ilok: tukling. Fil: tikling]

siggu’: Philippine coucal [Ilok: sakuk. Fil: sabukot]

taltaliling: woodpecker [Ilok: tagtaga. Fil: batuktok]

tangad: [Ilok: tangad. Fil: ?]

tariktik: tariktik hornbill [Ilok: tariktik. Fil: tariktik]

teyay: shrike [Ilok: panal. Fil: tarat]

tiktikrubung: striated marsh warbler [Ilok: tiktikrubong. Fil: ?]

titit: sunbird [Ilok: sitsitik. Fil: maria-kapra]

tittiwaddon: wagtail [Ilok: kinkin-od. Fil: ?]

tulin: chestnut munia [Ilok: billit-tuleng. Fil: maya]

uwop: owl [Ilok: puek. Fil: kuwago]

REPTILES

alibut: skink [Ilok: alibut. Fil: bangkalang] 

ayatungan: green pit viper [Ilok: bulong-unas. Fil: dahong-palay, dahong-tubo] 

banyahaw: chameleon [Ilok: bambannagaw. Fil: hunyango] 

bau-u: turtle [Ilok: pag-ong. Fil: pagong] 

baniyas: monitor lizard [Ilok: banias. Fil: bayawak] 

tadah: frog [Ilok: tukak. Fil: palaka] 

tingoy: toad [Ilok: pilat; bat-og, battu-battog. Fil: kabatsoy] 

tadah si iraw: tree toad [Ilok: tukak-uleg. Fil: palakang-ahas] 

karag: Hawaiian giant toad [Ilok: karag. Fil: ?] 

iraw: snake [Ilok: uleg. Fil: ahas] 

immanuy: cobra [Ilok: karasaen. Fil: ulupong] 

ine’eyaddang: python [Ilok: beklat. Fil: sawa] 

Birds, Insects and Other Wildlife of Dupax

MY FELLOW biodiversity advocates today may curse me if they get to know that as a boy I was not an angel insofar as birds, snakes, bats, lizards, rats, fish, and all kinds of insects are concerned.

Yes, back then, I was not only a slingshot-carrying wildlife murderer... most of the time I also carried an ota' (machete) or a pamahpah (usually a bamboo pole for hitting) each time I went gallivanting in my favorite baiyur (hill), wayil (stream), payaw (ricefield), and pampattolan si nuwang (carabao-grazing area).

An old man now, I can only say sorry for the several dozens of creatures whose lives I snuffed for food even if we didn't lack other things to eat... whose puupu' (nest) I mercilessly destroyed no matter if they had itluh (egg) or ana' (young) in them... whose right to enjoy the botlong (grass) and the pleasant soy-ang (sunshine) I deprived just so I could have fun... et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

It may be a lame excuse, but I wittingly or unwittingly committed such kasalanan (sin) because siren poto' (in the early days) there were still so many such pinalsa (creatures) around us that nobody seemed to care whether the uunga (children) needlessly maimed or decimated them.

But if there were good things that my ecological footprints as a bird chaser, river fisher, frog eater, nest hunter, rat killer, bat exterminator, and entomophagous insect collector had done, one of them would be my having known the names, habitats, songs, smells, toxicity, and taste of many kinds of wildlife in my nature-rich playgrounds when I was little.

HERE ARE LISTS of some of the creatures that were "at our disposal" way back then:

INSECTS

     abubbulih: [Ilokano: ampipit. Filipino: hantik]
alaksiyot: hornet [Ilok: alumpipinig. Fil: putakti]
alivabba: flying termite [Ilok: simut-simut. Fil: gamu-gamo]
anoy: termite [Ilok: anay. Fil: anay]
arabas: soldier worm [Ilok: arrabas. Fil: harabas]
atittino' an mango'ngot: damsel fly [Ilok: Fil: ]
atittino': dragonfly [Ilok: tuwwato. Fil: tutubi]
ato'tong: water beetle [Ilok: allukap. Fil: ?]
avabbayung: bumble bee [Ilok: alimbubuyog. Fil: bubuyog]
baha-baha: cotton bug [Ilok: baka-baka. Fil: baka-baka]
balang: locust [Ilok: dudon, balang. Fil: balang, dayupay]
báya-í: cockroach [Ilok: ipes. Fil: ipis]
bu'bu': powder-post beetle [Ilok: bukbuk. Fil: bukbok]
bu'bu' si bohas: rice weevil [Ilok: bukbuk ti bagas. Fil: bukbok ]
dangaw: stink bug [Ilok: dangaw. Fil: atangya]
duluríyaw: cicada  [Ilok: riyari, ari-ari. Fil: kuliglig]
dumoh: rhinoceros beetle [Ilok: barrairong. Fil: uwang]
durun: grasshopper [Ilok: dudon. Fil: tipaklong]
ee: mole cricket [Ilok: ararawan. Fil: suhong]
eha: tailor ant [Ilok: abuos. Fil: kara-kara]
eve: May beetle [Ilok: abal-abal, sibbaweng. Fil: salagubang]
gilang-gílang: golden beetle [Ilok: sammi-sammi. Fil: salaginto]
guwem: tiny sugar ant [Ilok: Fil: guyam]
i'-irung: firefly [Ilok: kulalanti. Fil: alitaptap]
imu': mosquito [Ilok: lamuk. Fil: lamok]
kanet: ant [Ilok: kuton. Fil: langgam]

     kanet an mandirito': [Ilok: kuton a nalabbaga. Fil: kuwitib]
kukkuyappon: butterfly [Ilok: kulibangbang. Fil: paru-paro, alibangbang]
kundidit: twilight cicada [Ilok: andidit. Fil: sitsiritsit]
leyoh: housefly; bummer fly [Ilok: ngilaw. Fil: langaw; bangaw]
paspasusu: preying/praying mantis [Ilok: wasay-wasay. Fil: sasamba, samba-samba]
pipingngaw: moth [Ilok: kulibangbang ti rabii. Fil: gamugamo]

     sondasondalo: katydid [Ilok: suldasuldado. Fil:?]tanur-tanur: damsel fly [Ilok: dagum-dagum. Fil: tutubing-karayom]
tomá: gnat [Ilok: sepsep. Fil: niknik]
tugtugayang: cricket [Ilok: kuriat. Fil: kuliglig]
tutu'gung: click beetle [Ilok: saltesaltek. Fil: laglagitik]

     LEGGED CRAWLERS 

     aáwwa: spider [Ilokano: lawalawa. Filipino: gagamba]

     alin-amut: chicken tick [Ilok: ulmog. Fil: ayam, hanip]

     ampas: tick [Ilok: ampas, garapata. Fil: garapata]

     atattaru: hairy caterpillar [Ilok: budu-budo. Fil: tilas]

     bangbangawan: caterpillar [Ilok: igges. Fil: uod, tilas]

     batevate: grub (beetle larva) [Ilok: tateg. Fil: uok]gayáman: centipede [Ilok: gayáman. Fil: alupihan]
itov: bedbug [Ilok: kiteb. Fil: surot]
singat-singat: millipede [Ilok: ar-aritos. Fil: alupihan]
sutsúnay: ant lion [Ilok: sunud-sunud. Fil: ?]
tíme: flea [Ilok: timel. Fil: pulgas]

     tu'bu: green stinging caterpillar [Ilok: samrid. Fil: mamaso]túngaw: aphid; plant louse [Ilok: aplat. Fil: dapulak]
útu: [Ilok: kutu. Fil: kuto] 

    (Continued in Part 2)

Rainbow in Isinay Dupax

Perhaps the most photographed figures in Dupax del Sur today are these two sculptures in front of the  municipal hall. On the left of the photo is a tablet outlining who they are and what they are doing.

Even as they are said to be depicting hunters who went into such reclining position due to extra heavy meal of roasted venison, I have this notion that they were in fact looking at a strange celestial sight in the eastern horizon.

It could have been a fully formed and multiple colored rainbow. They may not have a name for it in Isinay back then and so the two guys had to invent a noun that pretty soon stuck to their mind. It was “tavungeyon.”

Try asking kids even of pure Isinay parents what’s the name in Isinay... you’re lucky if you can get 1 out of 3 kids blurting out the correct answer.

Or you may get a correct one but if you cross-check the answer with other Isinay speakers, you would be surprised how the pronunciations vary.

One would say “tabungeyon” while another would say tavungeyon, and still another would say “tawungeyon.”

Such varied pronunciations can imply one thing: we Isinays of today have lost track of the original word for rainbow given to it when our ancestors felt the need for a name.

And it could follow that many other words and expressions in Isinay are in such a quandary.

It is this need to minimize the bloodletting on the Isinay vocabulary that this isinaydupax blog hopes to attend to.