The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-25
Our Language in Manila.


There are more cadooies out in the
cadingbat-" The orderly OF an officers
mess announced this at dinner the
other day. 1t developed later that II
anybody cared for more biscuits there
were plenty of them left in the oven.
For the butchsring OF good. modern
languages. and the ringing in of the
WORKOUT dead ones. l defy any one 10
find another town which can equal Ma
Mia The Tagalic is at the bottom OF Il
all The language was crusted with the
rust Of centuries ages before ages began
10 be reckOnsd-ages before the square
corners Of the earth were worn round.
Inasmuch as il has no verb TO BE-" it
is beyond the ken Of the white man.
! Those who have tried 10 learn 1t say that
Chinese IS kindergarten nunber-work in
COMPARISON.
Forgetting that there was anything but
Tagalic here, Jet us see what happened
when the Chinaman came The two Ian
guages met, FLASHED and compromised.
Neither nation made an attempt 20 learn
the language Of the other. but each set
aside certain words and phrases for com
mon use. Then the Spaniard came, and
not only covered the ante OF the others,
/ but he saw them many better because
his language is easy. Now comes the
American soldier, and shoves into the
nicely assorted pot the B0Wery and the
backwoods slang, and the language OF
the barracks, which IS language alike
impressive TO man and beast.
The result OF ali this is worth scruti-
nizing. For instance;
Three correspondents living together in
one house found il necessary a few days
ago TO hire a new stable boy. A young
Filipino presented himself for the place.
Quite likely he knew about ten words IN
each of three languages outside 81 his
own, the Chinese, Spanish, and English.
II seems as IL the boy had lately been
following an infantry outfit and some SOL
der expressions were simmering in his
head. He was accepted. and went below
TO TX himself up bunk IN the stables
While the three Americans were al din
ner il occurred 10 them that it was time
for the horses TO be fed. The boy was
called
Go down 10 the stables and feed the
horses" said one Of the newspaper men.
kindly
No sabe go down " answered the boy
''Sabe throw yourself out?' the scribe
asked. impatiently.
NO sabe, senior"
''Sabe 'hike?'" suggested one Of the
other Americans This word is the Amer
ican-soldler for hotfoot.
Hike" repeated the young native med
itatively. "Hike-vamo0se. 81. senior
sabe 'hike'-much vamoose.
Hike out to the stables and feed the
horses. them ordered the newspaper
man who spoke first, resuming his din
ner.
No sabe sta-bulls'-no sabe feed. "
At this iuncture there came from the
three newspaper men certain expressions
which were so peculiarly American-sol-
them adequately. At length the CONVEX
sation was taken up again in tAls way:
"Sabe casa-de-caballes? the new coach
boy was asked. This means literally
house-of-the- horses, and is a pretty good
stab at the Spanish for stables.
NO sabe, senor.' the native replied
pathetically.
''Sabe casa?" yelled a correspondent.
Isl. senior"
How the devil viii we tell him
'horses?'" gasped the sweating reporter.
The language of the American soldier
came 10 the rescue again.
"Sabe 'skates?'" asked a white man
who was about to so to pieces. II was
an inspiration.
Isl, sabe mucha-'skates.'
"Sabe 'chow-chow?' This was the last
difficulty, and it IS the Chinese expires
sion for feed" the world over.
Isl, senOr-sabe 'chOw-chow.' q"
And now when the time comes to feed
the horses the boy is called and the fol-
lowing command achieves the desired re-
suit;
Hike out to the casa de skates and
chow-chow."
The same theory is worked out in other
words For instance, the washerwoman,
the articles washed. and the act Of wash
ing are all known as 'washee-washee, -
and the carabOI-bull. its cart. and it's
driver are all spoken of and understood
as 'cow-cow.' Therefore If the bull has
a sore neck or the cart Il broken wheel.
it Is "cow-cow mucha mai0." which
means a very bad COW, but answers ev-
cry purpose. If the wife Of the buil-driver
dies, which is frequently the case. since
it necessitates holiday. you are told:
"Cow-COw matrimOna much malO.'
The same expression and the same hOi
iday condition hold good If the wife ~
the bull-driver has a new baby. Ia this
case another word IS sometimes added
''COw-cow matrim0na much malo-
picklninnia." And by stretching al
thumb and middle finger apart as far as
possible. the fresh father lets you know
how big the new arrival IS. and II he
works for you, he VIII next hit you for
a raise TO help chow-chow the brown
bal spOudence Washington Post.