What does "magkatugma" mean?

Back from a long break to post some questions sent in through the Need Help? page.

Anonymous asked:

If synonyms are 'magkasingkahulugan', antonyms are 'magkasalungat', what are magkatugma?

I answered:

Wow, that's a head-scratcher.

I would say "magkatugma" are words that rhyme, but it doesn't follow that they're homonyms. "Magkatugma" doesn't imply that the word is spelled the same way, only that certain syllables sound similar.

This seems to be a popular question online. I hope someone posts an official answer too.

OK, so this answer doesn't necessarily make it easy for students who need the correct answer right now but I suggest that you step back and focus on what you can learn, not what'll score you points with your teacher. Filipino/Tagalog and English grammar are similar in some ways but different in others. It's possible that you won't find an exact counterpart in English for a particular word or grammar rule. (For example: what is "kilig"?)

Mga panghalip (Pronouns)

Pronouns such as "he", "she" and "it" replace nouns in sentences. Panghalip is the Tagalog/Filipino term for it.

More on them here:

• Wikibooks: Panghalip
• filipinosubject.blogspot.com: Panghalip
• germanlipa.de: Pangngalan at Panghalip

These resources are in Filipino and require a more-than-basic understanding of the language.

Mga pandiwa (verbs)

I'm trying to find more online resources for very specific aspects of Filipino grammar. Try these if you need help with verbs:

• Tagalog Wikibooks: Pandiwa
• filipinosubject.blogspot.com: Pandiwa (verb)

These resources are in Filipino and require a more-than-basic understanding of the language.

Dekada '70 resources

I've never read Lualhati Bautista's Dekada '70, a novel about a family's struggles during the martial law regime. Apparently it's required in some schools, but it wasn't in mine.

For the sake of those who have to read it (and maybe some who just want to), here are a few resources:

• Dekada '70 (novel) Wikipedia entry
• Dekada '70 (nobela) Tagalog Wikipedia entry
• Dekada '70 book review at The Edsa Revolution website
• Dekada '70 (film) Wikipedia entry
• "Who's afraid of Lualhati Bautista?" by Abet Zialcita, at Inquirer.net

If you have 100 pesos or so to spare, you can get a copy at your nearest bookstore, because as far as I know it's always in print.

Ibong Adarna links

Ibong Adarna is the enchanted bird from the Philippine korido of the same name. The story itself is an old-fashioned epic starring a sick king and his three sons, searching for a cure in the form of the Ibong Adarna. The bird's songs could either heal people or make them fall asleep (and its droppings turned the sleeping people to stone).

This is required reading for high school freshmen.

• Ibong Adarna English Wikipedia entry
• Ibong Adarna Tagalog Wikipedia entry (quite short, needs some help)
• Illustrated Tagalog komiks Ibong Adarna for download at seasite.niu.edu
• Ibong Adarna study notes at viloria.com
• Ibong Adarna Wikipilipinas entry

Florante at Laura

Florante at Laura by Francisco Balagtas is required reading for the Filipino language and literature subject in second year high school. Being asked to stage it in class is very common, and was in fact one of the highlights of my sophomore year.

• Florante at Laura Wikipedia entry
• Summary of Florante at Laura in English at viloria.com
• Buod ng Florante at Laura at dkny's angelfire site
• Free Florante at Laura ebook at Project Gutenberg - beware though, it's a 1921 version and it retains some antiquated Tagalog spelling rules. Sample passage:

Salamat sa iyo, ó nánasang írog,
cong halagahán mo itóng aquing pagod,
ang tulâ ma,i, bucál nang bait na capós,
paquiquinaban~gan nang ibig tumaróc.

El Fili study guides

OK, so I never finished reading El Filibusterismo, Jose Rizal's sequel to Noli Me Tangere. I got by reading a study guide in the form of a cheap comic book. If I were a student today, I would have tried a little harder.

• El Fili chapter summaries, in Tagalog at www.viloria.com
• Full text of "The Reign of Greed", Charles Derbyshire's El Filibusterismo translation at joserizal.info
• "Foreignness and Vengeance": On Rizal's "El Filibusterismo", a paper by Vicente Rafael
• El Fili Wikipedia entry

Tagalog/Filipino grammar

As a Tagalog myself, I take the language for granted and am not as nitpicky with grammar when I use it. It becomes important eventually to learn more about it in a serious, academic way -- if you want to be able to write flawless Filipino formally.

If you missed some important lessons or would just like to refresh your memory, here are a few Tagalog grammar resources online:

• Tagalog grammar Wikipedia entry - Click on "discussion" as well, to see the kind of questions that came up about the topic.
• Tagalog Grammar site at seasite.niu.edu - The lessons here are in English, and assumes that you are familiar with English grammar.

Online Filipino-English Dictionary

Some school subjects require papers to be written exclusively in Filipino, some in English. The problem is that as a student, you most likely have both languages in your brain. Gersam.com has an online Filipino-English dictionary that can help you find the appropriate translations.

It's not perfect, though, because not all Filipino words have a direct translation in English, and vice versa. But this site provides "Alternate Words" at least, which can help you find a good-enough substitute.

If you can afford it, though, do get yourself a nice, thick Filipino-English dictionary from the nearest bookstore. It's just handy.

*UPDATE: Looks like Gersam.com has been down lately. You can check out the Tagalog Dictionary instead, which provides not just the definitions of words, but also related words. This is worth a bookmark!