COMMON truly Bisayan EXPRESSIONS

A LOT of Boholanos have been, by habit, uttering expressions which may sound weird, absurd or basically meaningless in today’s parlance.

Cortesanon attempts a research on the following, hoping that younger generations who may have the urge to utter such expressions would know at least what these words really mean.

KOLERA

As in:

Hani bay imong gibuhat?Tubag: Ay, nanguhag kolerang buwak, ihad sa kolerang birhen.

Explanation:

Expression common in the eastern towns of Bohol rooting from the historic epidemic spread during the Boholano-American War. The Americans had a major debacle in Cabantian Pass off Guindulman that, in revenge, they burned every house on sight (accounting for the loss of centuries old houses in major Bohol towns) killed anything on sight and threw all carcasses in water systems contaminating the water sources. Anyone who drinks from these waters get infected with the disease that according to tales, those who buried the dead today would be interred tomorrow.

ILAWOG SA TIRONG

As in:

Ajaw’g banha diha aron di ka ilawog sa tirong!

Explanation:

The expression takes its roots from the piratical raids by in the early 6th-until the 17^th centuries. Moro sailing boats have cargo holds, then called tirong are located near the boat’s keel, the entry gates located in the central floor of the boat. The hold is the common holding cells for captured natives to be sold as slaves in Mindanao and the southern Philippines. Anyone captured by Moros would be fed to the boat’s bossom, and thus, ilawog sa tirong.

MOGUWA ANG PARI

As in:

Perteng dakua ang samad, miguwa ang pari.

The expression is of course an exaggeration of the huge wound, like the main door of the church, thus the expression moguwa ang pari means the would is that gaping wide wound.

HINAMPAK

As in:

Nia ra ang hinampak!

Taken in reference to the unwanted Spaniards brought to the shores of Bohol by the ill wind that blew them here, the term is also referred to a man (or woman) who is thought to be possessed by evil spirits, or more appropriately hit by ill wind (Gihampak sa dautang hangin).