Swardspeak

Swardspeak (or Chuva) is a secret language that came from the mixed language with the names Taglish and Englog. It is used by gay people in the Philippines.

Swardspeak uses word from Tagalog, English, Spanish, Cebuano, Japanese, Sanskrit, and other languages. Names of Celebrities and trademark brands are also used.

Gay people use Swardpeak to make themselves feel special. The language changes a lot. People who use the language are called Bekimons. This word is from the words bakla (gay) and Jejemon.

The word "Swardspeak" came from the 1970's book called "Swardspeak: A Preliminary Study". "Sward" is slang for "gay male" in the Philippines.

Rules
Swardspeak is a form of slang. It changes a lot and the meaning of words are hard to know. The rules are explained below.

The first sound changes to the letter "J" or "Sh" or to the sounds "Jo-", "Sho-", "Ju-", "Shu-", "Ky-", or "Ny-".

WordLanguage MeaningSwardspeakSwardspeak meaningshortsEnglishtrousersnyortstrousersTagalogassistantjulaylayassistantTagalogspousejowaloverTagalogspousejowabelleloverTagalogchildkyotachildTagalogsiblingshupatidsiblingTagalogstinkykyohostinkyTagalogto go [to a place]jontato go [to a place]

 The last sound changes to "-ash", "-is", "-iz", "-ish", "-itch", "-ech", "-ush", or "-oosh" as a suffix.

WordLanguage MeaningSwardspeakSwardspeak meaningCebuanoa small amountjotisa very small amountTagalogwhatanechexclamatory whatTagalogthis oneitichthis oneTagalogfatjubisvery fatTagalogbitchytarooshvery bitchyTagalognothingwashnothing

Changing "a", "o", or "u" sounds with "or", "er", or "ur", especially with "l".

WordLanguage MeaningSwardspeakSwardspeak meaninghelloEnglishhellohellerhello (used as a wake up call)Tagalog maddening or insanely [entertaining]kalurkeymaddening or insanely [entertaining]Tagalogbeautifulganderbeautiful

 Changing places of letters in a word. Used mostly in Cebuano swardspeak.

WordLanguage MeaningSwardspeakSwardspeak meaningCebuanono, notilijno, notCebuanobad, unpleasantnialbad, unpleasantCebuanoloverbayulover

 Puns,  code-switching, onomatopoeic  Anglicization of words.

WordLanguage MeaningSwardspeakSwardspeak meaningCebuanogaybiyutibeautiful, prettydramaEnglishdramadramamelodrama, exaggeration, drama [queen]careerEnglishjobkarirto take seriously (used as a verb)carryEnglishcarrykerito carry [oneself well]feel Englishto sympathizefillet o'fishto be attracted to someoneG.I.Englisha member of the United States armed forcesg.i. joe a foreign lover, particularly Americanopposition partyEnglishopposition partyopposition party a party with a lot of unexpected problemsgurang Hiligaynonoldwranglerold gay manWake up and smell the coffee. Philippine EnglishWake up and smell the roses.kapeto be realisticSpanishmothermudra female friends with childrenTagalog obnoxious, unpleasantantibioticobnoxious, unpleasantTagalogpigboy bandfat kid Tagalog free (as in the price of goods), to treat someone out for freelibertyfree (as in the price of goods), to treat someone out for freeTagalogprostitute, to pound, to hammerhammerprostituteTagalog[sun]beam, raysilahisbisexual male

 Words from popular culture, mostly celebrities or TV shows. Based the things they were famous for, because parts of the words rhyme, or both.

Person / ObjectWordLanguage MeaningSwardspeakSwardspeak meaningCrayolacryEnglishcrycrayolato be sadX-Men ex-manEnglisha male person who came outX-Mena male person who came outGelli de Belen jealousEnglishjealousgelli de belenjealousNoel Coward noEnglishnonoel cowardnoOprah Winfrey promiseEnglishpromiseoprah winfreypromiseSharon Cuneta sureEnglishsuresharon cunetayes, sureJesus Christ Superstar resurrectionEnglishresurrectionjesus christ superstarfashion make-over, to change into [more fashionable] clothingMaxine Hong KingstontaxiEnglishtaxitaxina hong kingston [to wait for a] taxicabOptimus Prime transformationEnglishtransformationoptimus primefashion make-over, to change into [more fashionable] clothingCoffeemateWake up and smell the coffee. Philippine EnglishWake up and smell the roses.coffeemateto be realisticCarmi Martin Sanskritkarmacarmi martinkarmaAnaconda (film)Tagalog "snake", slang for "to betray"anaconda traitor, to betrayMazinger ZTagalog gaybadinger z homosexual)Barbra StreisandTagalog to blockbarbra streisand  to be rejected bluntly, blockedJiminey CricketTagaloghousemaidchiminey crickethousmaidTommy Lee JonesTagaloghungrytommy lee joneshungryJulie Yap-Daza(famous the book Etiquette for Mistresses)Tagalog to be caughtjulie yap-daza to be caught [cheating]JupiterTagalogsiblingjupitersiblingLupita Aquino-Kashiwahara Tagalog cruellupita kashiwahara cruelMahalia Jackson Tagalog expensive, precious, dearmahalia jacksonexpensiveMariah CarreyTagalog cheapmurriah carrey cheapRita GomezTagalog irritatingrita gomezirritating, annoyingPagoda Cold Wave LotionTagalogtired, exhaustedpagoda cold wave lotiontired, exhaustedAyatollah KhomeiniTagalog thinfayatollah kumenis thinPocahontasTagalogprostitutepocahontasprostituteWinston ChurchillTagalog high societychurchillhigh societyTom JonesTagaloghungrytom joneshungry

From other languages like Japanese.

WordLanguage MeaningSwardspeakSwardspeak meaning (bīru)Japanesebeerberrubeer (otoko)Japanesemaleotokomanly man (watashi)Japanese me, Iwatashime, ISpanish smallchiquitosmallSpanish vaginacoñohigh societySpanish vaginacoñospeaker of Coño EnglishSpanish obscenity, means "in a fist"puñetaprofanity, equal to "fuck"Spanish seven deadly sinssiete pecadosnosy, gossipmonger

Examples
Tagalog nursery rhyme "Ako ay may lobo" (I Have a Balloon) into Swardspeak.

TagalogSwardspeakEnglishAko ay may lobo 
Lumipad sa langit  
Di ko na nakita 
Pumutok na pala 
Sayang lang ang pera, 
Pinambili ng lobo
Sa pagkain sana, 
Nabusog pa ako.Aketch ai may lobing
Flylalou sa heaven
Witchels ko na nasightness 
Jumutok lang pala 
Sayang lang ang anda 
Pinang buysung ng lobing
Kung lafangertz sana
Nabusog pa aketch I had a balloon
It flew up in the sky
I can't see it anymore 
[I didn't know] it had popped
Wasted my money
Buying the balloon
If I had bought food instead
At least I would have been satisfied

Tagalog nursery rhyme "Bahay Kubo" (Nipa Hut) into Swardspeak.

TagalogSwardspeakEnglishBahay kubo, kahit munti
Ang halaman duon,
Ay sari-sari
Singkamas, at talong,
Sigarilyas at mani
Sitaw, bataw, patani
Kundol, patola, upo’t kalabasa
At saka meron pa
Labanos, mustasa
Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya
Sa paligid-ligid
Ay puno ng lingaValer kuberch, kahit jutay
Ang julamantrax denchi,
Ay anek-anek.
Nyongkamas at nutring,
Nyogarilyas at kipay.
Nyipay, nyotaw, jutani.
Kundol, jotola, jupot jolabastrax
At mega join-join pa
Jobanos, nyustasa,
Nyubuyak, nyomatis, nyowang at luyax
And around the keme
Ay fulnes ng linga.Nipa hut, even though it is small
The plants it houses 
Are varied
Turnip and eggplant, 
Winged bean and peanut
String bean, hyacinth bean, lima bean.
Wax gourd, luffa, 
white squash and pumpkin,
And there is also radish, mustard,
Onion, tomato, 
Garlic, and ginger
And all around
Are sesame seeds.

References

Books
Visayan Swardspeak: The language of a gay community in the Philippines" - Crossroads, 1990
“’Performing’ the Filipino Gay Experiences in America: Linguistic Strategies in a Transnational Context.” Beyond the Lavender Lexicon: Authenticity, Imagination and Appropriation in Lesbian and Gay Language. New York: Gordon and Breach, 1997. 249–266
“Global Divas: Filipino Gay Men in the Diaspora”, Duke University Press Books, November 19, 2003. 

Category:Austronesian languages
Category:Dialects of English
Category:LGBT
Category:Languages of the Philippines
Category:Romance languages