Tagalog Language

“Tagalog Language; An Adaptive Language for Adaptive Filipinos”

(A Reaction Paper on the Article “Tagalog through the Centuries I&II”)

…Words have a life of their own, sometimes changing meanings as they move from one culture to another…---Michael L. Tan

            One of the characteristics of a language is its being adaptive. A certain language can fit itself to other realities such as to other languages that it is in contact with. As it evolves within the changing environment, language encounters many changes and the product of these linguistic changes indeed make it more useful to man in his day to day living. I remember certain lines from a course notes that I read, it says;

Language, the greatest of all human inventions, is the most essential key to the truly human…with the development of language, man created an instrument of interpretation that gave him a way of transversing the largest possible field of life. (Course Notes on Language and Culture)

Thus, in his two part articles, “Tagalog through the Centuries I&II”, Michael Tan described the origin and evolution of the Tagalog language. The article discussed the ancestral root languages of the Tagalog language. From a Malayo-Polynesian family, Tagalog surpassed the idea of time and the other languages which it was based on. Just like other languages existing in the world, Tagalog language borrowed many words and phrases from other local dialects such as Ilokano, Cebuano and others. It is also a mixture of other languages from all over the world including the Sanskit, Arabic, Chinese, etc. Hence, these languages contributed to what we, Filipinos, enjoy now as a language with prestige that gives an identity to every Filipino speaker of such language.

            Considering the points presented by the author in his article, I believe, first and foremost, that the Tagalog language depicts the kind of Filipino that we are—a very adaptive people. Going back to history, we shall then trace how our country was invaded by many nations who evidently brought different cultures and different life orientation to us. However, despite of the fact that we were colonized by other countries we were able to adapt to the kind of environment that they brought to us, and I think this is also true to the case of the Tagalog language--- it adapted to the other linguistic realities brought about by its fellow languages and dialects. Secondly, I believe that the Tagalog language was molded to be a very effective instrument that can be use for understanding and unity of every Filipino people. Personally, after reading the article, I asked myself these questions, “Paano kaya kapag walang isang lenggwahe kung saan nagkakaintindihan ang mga Pilipino? Magiging Pilipinas parin kaya ang Pilipinas?” (What if there is no common language that the Filipino people could understand with each other? Is Philippines will still be Philippines?) Honestly, my answer is NO! Filipinos will not be in harmony if there is no common language that will serve as our national medium of expression. Philippines will never be Philippines if there is no common identity that will somehow represent our nation as one. 

 Thus, the Tagalog language marks the true spirit of being a Filipino that despite of the many challenges and realities that our environment or society may offer, it still continue to be a shining example of strength and determination that describe what a Filipino is. Such language also manifests the true nature of being a language that it is adaptive. It evolves to the other facets of societal living and from the other languages that exist throughout the land. “Languages evolve because of cultural contacts, people meeting as tourists, traders, teachers, whatever” (Tan, 2001).