Amánung Sisuan or

Indung Tibuán?
What defines the Kapampangan
Kapampangan language defines our being Kapampangan, because it is what unites
us, it is what sets us apart from the other ethno-linguistic groups in the
archipelago, and it is what makes us unique in the whole wide world. We even
have a unique term for our native language: amanung sisuan (literally “suckled
word”) which means “the language that nourishes us.” No other tribe thinks of
their mother tongue that way.
Kapampangan language defines our being Kapampangan, because it is what unites
us, it is what sets us apart from the other ethno-linguistic groups in the
archipelago, and it is what makes us unique in the whole wide world. We even
have a unique term for our native language: amanung sisuan (literally “suckled
word”) which means “the language that nourishes us.” No other tribe thinks of
their mother tongue that way.

Bergaño defines amánu as “word” and mangamánu as “to speak,” and that is just
about all he says in the short entry. Apparently, the term amanung sisuan had not
been coined yet during his time, nor had the concept of language as a unifying
agent among Kapampangans already been thought of.
Kapampangan language defines our being Kapampangan, because it is what unites
us, it is what sets us apart from the other ethno-linguistic groups in the
archipelago, and it is what makes us unique in the whole wide world. We even
have a unique term for our native language: amanung sisuan (literally “suckled
word”) which means “the language that nourishes us.” No other tribe thinks of
their mother tongue that way.

Bergaño defines amánu as “word” and mangamánu as “to speak,” and that is just
about all he says in the short entry. Apparently, the term amanung sisuan had not
been coined yet during his time, nor had the concept of language as a unifying
agent among Kapampangans already been thought of.

Bergaño gives an example: E cu tubu queti, “I was not born here” or “I did not
grow up here” or “I am not a native of this place.” But again, as in his entry in
amanu, he does not mention the phrase many Kapampangans today use, indung
tibuan, “motherland.” This can only mean that the ancient Kapampangans did not
consider the territory as the thing that defined or unified them as a people.
`
Tingquis

Philippine Hat
Ymalan
Breastplates

Capangpangan
“Dress used by the kapampangans” or “Dress made in Pampanga”
 Tingquis is “ the disposition of a well-armed man;”
matingquis, “one taking his machete, girds his belt,
tucks up his sleeves, goes out in a rush, acting a la
Xerxes, ready to do battle.” Matingquis a lalaqui,
“a man armed to the teeth;” Bergaño adds that “ the
Tingquis word is also used regarding a well-dressed
Philippine Hat
person.”The word tangca means “ready for any
eventuality, e.g., a soldier armed to the teeth.”
Breastplates Macatangca ya is “ to be ready” and “ to be in
complete a pparel . ” Macaganiya is “ to prepare to
go out,” while Macagayac ya is “ to have everything
ready.”
 Torso armours and helmet made
from carabao hornplates and
leather, typical among Muslim
leaders in the Philippines during
colonial times. Pampanga was
Tingquis populated by Muslims when the
Spaniards came in 1571 (Photo:
Philippine Hat Museo Naval and Servicio
Historico Militar). Here are variety
Breastplates of Philippine hats during Spanish
times, printed by Justiniano
Asuncion.
 BREASTPLATES
Baluti means “ breast plate;” magbaluti, “ to
wear a breastplate;” the phrase Cuta raca’t
baluti idiomatically means “You are my
defender.” Other archival documents show
that such breast-plates, used in battle, were
made from ani-mal hide, usually carabao and
deer, which roamed t e foot hills of Pinatubo
and Arayat.
A calai is “a weapon for defence, like a breastplate, in- cluding the one made of leather,”
while a calasag is “a round shield, cuirass, breast-plate and backpla te; the armour.”
Tingquis
HEADGEARS
Philippine Hat The early Kapampangans were also fond of headgear. Kinds of ancient headgear in- clude:
the turung , “a cone- shaped headgear made of nipa” (magturung, “ to use it;” tirungan,
“covered by it”); the tubatub, or tubutub, “palms or rags made into a headgear or turban”
Breastplates ( magtubatub , “to use it, like a Zambal putting it on for a dance". And the lacal "padded
ring for carrying loads on the head. also that ring of woven bamboo on which the pots and
jars are placed.”
Other headgears are the bungbung , “a short mantilla or head covering for women;”
the talucbung , “a small mantilla, smaller than a bungbung;” and the talicbung, “covering,
or shawl, veil, like that of a chalice, or head;” The ancient Kapampangan word for mantilla
is pandong.
w
Ymalan
Capangpangan
Continuation
 SHIRTS
 Barô, “shirt or dress, but not ad- justed like the close-fitted jacket which is sleeveless;”
also, “ t h e r eligious habit;” cabaruan , “material enough for one baro;” pangabaro, “ the
style of the baro. ”
 Balindang , a large-sleeved dress.
 Sabing , or sabingsabing , “said of one who does not roll up his sleeves when doing
something, and his sleeves keep touching or falling on what he is doing.”

SHAWLS, WRAP-AROUNDS
 Balabal, “a kind of clothing or piece of garment worn like a stole, which used to be worn, and
today used only by creole women when they come out in white on Easter Sunday;”
magbalabal is “ to wear diagonally, like a cape ” Itang ulas a belabalan cu nandin, “The
w blanket I used as a cape a while ago.” Sacbali , “shawl or kerchief draped over the shoulders,
like a stole;“
 Cutun, close-fitting jacket; verb is “ to fold or plait dresses;” past tense is quitun Tacucu , “a
kind of cape, usually made of nipa, used as protection against rain; its neckline is
provided with a cord, with which to tie it around the neck and shoulders.”
 Pacaling , “ medal-like objects that boys attach to their belts of sashes.”
 SKIRTS
 Suddia , “the pointed end of a skirt (of women),” or “the pointed end of the ancient tunic
worn by men.” Palda, the word used today to mean skirt, actually meant “ the handle of any
tool or imple- ment” in those days.
 Untun, “girde, which serves as a pouch/pocket; it is worn only by women, and it is not
visible, because it is under the tapis.”
 Tapis , “upper petticoat; outer garment worn by wom en around the waist.” Bingculan is “
the front edge of a tapis,” while sa limp a t is “ t h e extremity of a tapis, which is its edge,
that falls up to the buttocks, opposite of salucsucan.” Cabubus is the material from which
tapis is made; ”catapisan, “material enough for one ta pis; ” sabulsabul , “ said of a woman
when she walks the street making a noise with her tapis. ”

WEAVES, MATERIALS
w  Usi (jusi) is entered in the Bergaño dictionary as “silk that is crude;” tapis a usi was “used often”
in those days, writes Bergaño.
 Balangamas is “a kind of weave or texture” but “they no longer make such a weave.”
 Punut, “fabric or clothing produced from coconut fibers."
 Sinaguitlong, “the texture of a cloth.”
 Sinuyud, “a certain weave.”
 Buat, “a certain cloth embroidered in the loom, which is no longer in use; its de-sign is inlaid
and raised over the field or scope of the cloth.”
 Photo
Example
 Pinán, Pinanári
Bajag is a “loincloth or loin
covering;” it is probably borrowed
from the Tagalog bahag. Th e
Kapampangan word for loincloth is
really pinán; and from this,
the word pinanari , i.e., pinan ning
Ari (literally, “ the King’s loincloth”), which
is the Kapampangan word for rainbow (same
as the Ta- galog bahag-hari , or bahag ng
hari).
 Lacal
“Padded ring for carrying loads on
the head”
 Balabal
“piece of garment worn diagonally, like a stole”
 Tacucu
“a cape made of nipa, to protect against rain”
 Suddia
“ the pointed end of the ancient tunic worn by men”