Ilocano is the Mama's primary language. It was the Daddy's as well. Ilocano is one of the languages of the Philippines. I'm one of those second-generation people who can understand their parents' primary language proficiently but is a doofus when it comes to speaking it. I don't even think I spoke it before I went to school, which was probably because the Only and Older Brother was already in school when I came along.
Because we've lived with the Mama for over 12 years, I've gained back much of my comprehension skills. It's a good thing. As the Mama has gotten older, she is speaking more in Ilocano without realizing it. Her hearing is pretty bad, which has me thinking that a lot of the time English sounds like jibber jabber to her. I've started using a word or two of Ilocano, when I can think of it. Of course, my Ilocano also sounds like jibber jabber to her.
Doesn't matter. Broken Ilocano talk, here I am.
Adda iti kayat mo? Is there anything you want?
Awan. Nothing.
Ado. A lot.
Today ABC Wednesday starts Round 18, which begins my third round with the meme. Whooo-hooo! This cool meme was started by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and continues today under the helm of Roger Green and his ABCW team. Thank you! If you'd like to participate and/or check other participants, please click here.
My friend was born in Vietnam, but she came to the US when she was two. She could speak Vietnamese up until kindergarten, but after that she became completely fluent in English. I was impressed she could order food at restaurants and converse in Vietnamese, but she always said she spoke it like a child. One time she attempted to order food at a restaurant, and she said the server did not even understand her. I still think it is cool she is bilingual, and I wish I had grown up learning a second language.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I speak Ilocano, like a small child. It's better than nothing. I'm glad I can still understand well.
DeleteWe came back to the states when our oldest son was 2. He always understood what we said in English and what the maid said in Italian, but he spoke neither. At 2 he only spoke a few words. Then we came back to the states and he discovered television and Sesame Street. He was speaking English in no time.
ReplyDeleteI think it's easier to learn another language as a child because children aren't afraid of messing up the way adults are.
Once when I was a teenager, I tried talking Ilocano to the parents. They had a What? look on their faces. When they figured I was speaking Ilocano, they laughed. It was a friendly laugh but a teenager knows no different.
DeleteADO!
ReplyDeleteHerzlich Pippa
Wen! (Yes!)
Deletei think its a good think that one honours native languages... and learn foreign ones too ofcourse.. but natives ones are vulnorable in the world we live in because more and more has to go in English..
ReplyDeletegood luck with studying
Have a nice abc-day / week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
Thanks, Melody.
DeleteA fascinating insight into the varied languages you have at your disposal. At school I chose sciences rather than languages a strange decision at the age of 15.
ReplyDeleteDenise ABC Team.
The sciences were like foreign languages to me back then. lol
DeleteGlad that you are keeping with Mom's native language ~ so import ~
ReplyDeleteWishing you a Happy Weekend ~ ^_^
Over the last 7 years, the Mama's English speaking skills has been fading. I can always tell when she's tired by how little English she speaks. It took awhile for the Husband not to be bugged about it.
DeleteIt is good to know your parents' language. Sometimes here people lose their native tongue in several generations.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
Without regular exposure, it's easy too lose it. The Ilocano comprehension level of the Only and Older Brother, for instance, is very poor, and that was his primary language his first few years.
DeleteHow wonderful you have as much mastery as you do. It is amazing. Thank goodness you can communicate with Mama even if she calls it fiber jabber. That makes me smile. Like your attempt to write the language.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Genie.
DeleteBill Shakespeare was right 'Much ado about nothing'. LOL .... I picked up quite a few South American Spanish conversational bits when I was in a relationship with a woman from Uruguay ... all gone now except for a few terms of endearment.
ReplyDeleteGood ones to have!
DeleteAlthough I live over 50 years in Belgium where we speak French, I have never forgotten my German mother tongue because translations were also part of my work. We have a very European family, my husband is Italian and with him I speak German. The son was born in Belgium and his mother tongue is French, then he married a Dutch girl and my grandson speaks Dutch but also French, there are words missing. But when we are all together we speak English because we don't speak Dutch and my DIL doesn't speak French. I hope you won't get dizzy !
ReplyDeleteLove it, Gattina! I would enjoy hanging out at one of your parties. The Mama can speak several languages of the Philippines. It was impressive to hear her communicate with others who spoke Tagalog, Pangasinan, or Visayan.
DeleteThis looks like a difficult language to me. Those words sound similar to me although mean something completely different. Here I am trying to say the words phonetically. I am glad you can understand it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a VERY interesting exercise.
ReplyDeleteROG, ABCW
Interesting. I don't know any Filipino dialect but Tagalog. My mom knows Kapangpangan.. .
ReplyDelete