The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55, 1690-1691: Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55, 1690-1691: Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
96. The polish and courtesy, especially of the Tagálogs and those
near them, in speech and writing are the same as those of very
civilized nations. They never say "tu" [i.e., "thou"] or speak in the
second person, singular or plural, but always in the third person:
[thus], "The chief would like this or that." Especially a woman when
addressing a man, even though they be equal and of the middle class,
never say less than "Sir" or "Master," and that after every word:
"When I was coming, sir, up the river, I saw, sir, etc." In writing
they make constant use of very fine and delicate expressions of regard,
and beauties and courtesy. Their manner of salutation when they met one
another was the removal of the potong, which is a cloth like a crown,
worn as we wear the hat. When an inferior addressed one of higher rank,
the courtesy used by him was to incline his body low, and then lift
one or both hands to the face, touch the cheeks with it, and at the
same time raise one of the feet in the air by doubling the knee, and
then seating oneself. The method of doing it was to fix the sole of
the feet firmly, and double both knees, without touching the ground,
keeping the body upright and the face raised. They bent in this manner
with the head uncovered and the potong thrown over the left shoulder
like a towel; they had to wait until they were questioned, for it
would be bad breeding to say anything until a question was asked.
97. The method of giving names was the following. As soon as a
child was born, it was the mother's business to name it. Generally
the occasion or motive of the name was taken from some one of the
circumstances which occurred at the time. For example, Maliuag, which
means "difficult," because of the difficulty of the birth; Malacas,
which signifies "strong," for it is thought that the infant will be
strong. This is like the custom of the Hebrews, as appears from Holy
Writ. At other times the name was given without any hidden meaning,
from the first thing that struck the fancy, as Daan, which signifies
"road," and Damo, signifying "grass." They were called by those names,
without the use of any surname, until they were married. Then the first
son or daughter gave the surname to the parents, as Amani Maliuag,
Ynani Malacas, "the father of Maliuag," "the mother of Malacas." The
names of women are differentiated from those of men by adding the
syllable "in," as Ilog, "river;" Si Ilog, the name of a male; Si
Iloguin, the name of a female. They used very tender diminutives
for the children, in our manner. Among themselves they had certain
domestic and delicate appellations of various sorts for the different
degrees of relationship--as that of a child for his father and mother,
and vice versa. In the same way [they have appellations] for their
ancestors, descendants, and collaterals. This shows the abundance,
elegance, and courtesy of this language. It is a general thing in all
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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