Why would a lawyer say “a plea by which a defendant in a criminal prosecution accepts conviction as though a guilty plea had been entered but does not admit guilt” in every sentence, when she can simply say nolo contendere? Would you insist that Americans invent a “native” English term for “nolo contedere” and use that English term instead of the Latin?įorcing one-to-one translations of words and concepts is ignorant and disrespectful of the uniqueness of a culture. Sure, you can lengthily explain what the Latin phrase is in English, but for brevity’s sake, most will use the Latin phrase because it contains in a nutshell what you’re trying to say. Think of how Latin phrases are used in U.S.
In those cases, Filipinos will simply use the original English. And there are many concepts that exist in one culture that don’t have an exact or short equivalent in another language. One of the things that monolinguals have a hard time wrapping their minds around is that language is rooted in history and culture. It is absurd for foreigners and USA-born Filipino Americans to insist that Filipinos should use only “pure” or “native” Tagalog words in communicating, particularly when there is very little equivalence between the Filipino and English languages. Most Filipinos will casually use the English phrase “Goodnight.” It is part of the history and culture of the Filipino people to naturally use English phrases. When you’re leaving them, there is a formal word you can use that means farewell - Paalam - but few people do this. In the Philippines, when you greet someone after sunset, you say, Magandang Gabi. You also say “Good night” to someone who is about to go to bed to sleep. In English-speaking countries, when you meet someone at night, you greet them, “Good evening.” When you’re leaving them, you say, “Good night.” So what do Filipinos say when they want to say “Good Night” in Tagalog? They use the English phrase and say Gudnayt. It is a parting wish, meaning a farewell. The English phrase “Good Night” is a farewell or a bid for someone to sleep well. Magandang Gabi means “ Good Evening,” a phrase one uses when greeting someone upon meeting in the evening or at night. It is very wrong to say that the Filipino phrase Magandang Gabi has the same meaning or sentiment as the simple two-word American English phrase “Good Night.”
There is no native Tagalog equivalent for “Good Night.”
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