From where I grew up, we have a unique dialect called Chavacano.

Chavacano is a creole- a cross between the Spanish language and another Filipino dialect called Bisaya. For the uninformed, the Philippines was under Spanish rule for more than 300 years in the past, that is why the Spanish influence is very great and quite lasting in this country (and that is why many Filipinos feel so damn inferior too).

It’s interesting though how it is in my hometown- Zamboanga City- that the Spanish language left an enduring imprint. People from Manila or elsewhere are usually fascinated when they hear people conversing in Chavacano. “What… what… language is that?” they’d scratch their heads. “Chavacano,” we’d proudly say and give a demeaning look. “Umpoquito Espanol, no?”

So, wanna learn it?

It’s easy. On a regular basis, I’ll be posting a Chavacano Word of the Day to help you poor monolingual souls learn a different dialect.

Ready?

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Continue here.

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