What is the relationship between language and culture?, does language have a connection in our culture?, Are they connected or not?. Maupay nga aga sa iyo ngatanan ( good morning to everyone) I am Justine Ross C. Tobello from National Teachers College and I am here to consider the connection or relationship of Bisaya language with their culture. It’s like getting to know the Waray, and I am sure that you’ll simply love them!.
Clear seawater, amazing rock formations, beautiful people and has a lot of undiscovered nature. This is how I can describe my province in Northern Samar, in our province or let’s say the entire province of Samar as well as Eastern and Northern Leyte, the language that they use are called “Waray”, although “Waray” in Samar means “nothing” o “wala”, they should not be underestimated for they are still rich in culture, food, and land. If I am not mistaken “Waray” language is one of the eight major languages in the Philippines, they say that the Warays have a reputation for being tough but actually they are gentle and fun-loving too. When I visit our province I noticed that almost all of them seem to know each other, they always greet each other or tap someone’s shoulder whenever they meet on road, I also noticed some of their cultures like they call their son or a boy, “itoy” or “indoy”, and for a daughter or a girl is “iday” or “inday”, these term is used by adults to call a child assumes an endearing bond with him or her, for me I think it is a term charged with fondness and affection.
Like most Filipino’s the Waray also love feasts or “Patron” in their term, and I am lucky to experience fiesta in our province, feasts in Waray country are feasts honoring patron saints, I think it is also an event for them to share their blessings to their relatives, friends, and guest. Fiesta celebration in Samar always begin with solemn thanksgiving prayers reverberate with spectacular displays of parades, I also notice that during fiesta each and everyone’s house are open to anyone, wherein you can eat and have fun with them if you like; not missing from their feasts are delicacies like a moron, salokara, and latik, bountiful banquets serving Lechon and Tuba are also a-flowing even in today’s economic hardships, karaoke singing fills the air, and my most favorite part was at night in the plaza where everyone just like teenagers, adults, even Lolo and Lola are fully awake with the non-stop dancing of pop, rock, cha-cha, and kuratsa. For the Waray, the cycle of life is a cycle of endless celebration.
In my view, language and culture are connected to each other, understanding a culture is effective for a person to understand someone’s language more, and by this blog, I realized that language is totally a basis of our culture, and it is impossible to have a culture without a language.