The Filipino Language: History and Features

• Filipino is the national language of the Philippines
• Along with English, it is also an official language
• Filipino is based on the Tagalog language
• The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Filipino Language) regulates it

History and Development

• Tagalog was selected in 1937 as the foundation for the national language
• In 1959, the language was renamed Pilipino
• It was renamed Filipino in 1987, acknowledging the influence of other Philippine languages
• According to the constitution, the national language needs to evolve and be enriched based on existing Philippine and other languages
• The evolution of Filipino shows the desire for a more inclusive national language

Linguistic Features

• Filipino is a member of the Austronesian language family
• It uses agglutinative morphology
• To create different forms and meanings of words, it uses affixes
• The word order is usually verb-subject-object (VSO), but it can be flexible
• It has adopted terms from Spanish, English, Malay, Hokkien, and Sanskrit

Grammar

• Nouns lack grammatical gender
• The particle "mga" before the noun typically denotes plurality
• Affixes are used to conjugate verbs to indicate tense, aspect, and mood
• Pronouns are used to distinguish between singular, dual, and plural forms

Vocabulary

• Native Tagalog words are included in the Filipino vocabulary
• It also includes loanwords that have been adapted to Filipino phonology
• Due to historical colonization, Spanish loanwords are frequent
• Especially in technical fields, English loanwords are also common

Writing System

• The Latin alphabet is used in Filipino
• There are 28 letters in the alphabet
• Single sounds are represented by digraphs like "ng" and "ll"
• The Spanish "ñ" is still used

Pronunciation

• Filipino pronunciation is usually simple
• Spanish vowels are similar to Filipino vowels
• Most consonants are pronounced as they are in English
• When distinguishing between words with similar spellings, stress is important

Usage

• Filipino is used in government, education, media, and everyday conversation
• It can be formal or informal
• Code-switching between Filipino and English (Taglish or Englog) is common
• Filipino use varies depending on the region and social setting

Regional Variation

• While Filipino is based on Tagalog, regional languages add to its development
• Filipino sometimes incorporates words from other Philippine languages
• Speakers from various regions may have different accents and vocabularies

Relationship to Tagalog

• Filipino is basically a standardized version of Tagalog
• The conscious incorporation of elements from other Philippine languages is the primary distinction
• Many Tagalog speakers consider Filipino and Tagalog to be the same language

Common Phrases

• "Kumusta?" - "How are you?"
• "Magandang umaga" - "Good morning"
• "Magandang hapon" - "Good afternoon"
• "Magandang gabi" - "Good evening"
• "Salamat" – Thank you
• "Walang anuman" - "You're welcome"
• "Paalam" - "Goodbye"

Influence on Other Languages

• Filipino has had an impact on Philippine English, a distinct dialect of English
• Philippine English frequently uses Filipino phrases and grammatical structures
• Some Filipino words have been borrowed by other languages, but only to a limited extent

Challenges

• Because of regional differences, standardizing Filipino can be difficult
• Debates over how much other Philippine languages should be included are still going on
• The influence of English has a significant impact on language use and attitudes

Education

• In Philippine schools, Filipino is taught as a subject
• It is also employed as a teaching language
• The goal is to promote national identity and literacy in the country's official language

Media and Literature

• Filipino is widely used in television, radio, and movies
• There is an increasing amount of Filipino literature, including novels, poems, and plays
• The media is essential in promoting and influencing the language

Commission on the Filipino Language (Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino)

• The KWF is the government organization in charge of promoting and developing Filipino
• It investigates the language and how it is used
• Vocabulary, grammar, and orthography guidelines are established

Language Code

• "fil" is the ISO 639-1 language code for Filipino
• The ISO 639-2 and ISO 639-3 codes are "fil"

Noun Markers

• "Si" is a marker for personal names
• "Ang" is a definite article
• "Ng" connects two nouns
• "Sa" is general preposition indicating location or direction

Affixes

• "Ma-" denotes adjective or ability
• "Mag-" denotes action
• "Um-" denotes actor focus
• "-in" is a suffix meaning "to do something to something"
• "-an" is a suffix meaning "location"

Sample sentences

• "Kumakain ako ng bigas." - "I am eating rice."
• "Si Maria ay maganda." - "Maria is beautiful."
• "Ang bahay ay malaki." - "The house is big."
• "Pupunta ako sa Maynila." - "I am going to Manila."

Importance

• Filipino represents national identity and unity
• It is used to facilitate communication and understanding among Filipinos
• It is essential for preserving and promoting Philippine culture
• It helps bridge different ethno-linguistic groups across the archipelago
• Being proficient in Filipino is usually seen as a sign of being Filipino