(You can read a Kapampángan version of this article here.)
Angeles, the economic, business, educational, culinary, tourist and heritage pivot of Central Luzon and of the Kapampángan Region, Indúng Kapampángan, is also at the center of the historically Kapampángan area that includes most of the Central Plain. Today, the intensity of language change has seen more and more children brought up speaking Tagalog around the Philippines so that the Northern Philippines (Luzon and Palawan) is now considered one of the 20 global language hot spots, with the greatest number of endangered languages1.
In Central Luzon, as in much of the Philippines, town after town has experienced a language shift from non-Tagalog languages to Tagalog, leaving most of the area Tagalized. In the past few decades, most of Northern Nueva Ecija, which used to be Ilocano, has shifted to Tagalog. In Zambales, Iba, the capital, has switched from Sambal to Ilocano, while Castillejos has shifted from Ilocano to Tagalog, and Cabangan from Ilocano and Sambal to Tagalog. Of the seven provinces in Region III, only Pampanga and Tarlac do not have Tagalog pluralities these days – they are the last two holdouts. The “national language” (which is known as the imperial or infernal subdialect by many in cyberspace)2, overruns more and more non-Tagalog areas each day and delivers their populations to the speech of Manila. Tagalization is an ever-intensifying threat to the non-Tagalog languages of the entire Philippines.
This has not always been the case. Historically, however, most of Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija was Kapampángan when the Spaniards conquered the region in the 1570s. This is borne out by Loarca’s Relation, dated 1582-1583, which groups Bulacan (as well as Tondo) together with present-day Pampanga as speaking the same language, while other parts of Metro Manila and Rizal are listed as speaking another language.3
This is borne out by evidence from place names. A survey of names, or former names of towns and barangays (which were known as barrios until the declaration of martial law in 1972) will reveal that many of these were originally Kapampángan. 4
BATAAN
Abucay – Capitangan (fr kapitangan, halfway)
Balanga (fr balanga, clay pot)
Dinalupihan – Layac (fr layak, refuse, sweepings, garbage); Pagalanggang (fr galanggang, to wail, cry loudly); Sapang Balas (fr sapang balas, sand brook); Tabacan (tabakan, to cut with a bolo); Tucop (fr, tukup, to cover with the cupped hand),
Hermosa – Culis, (kulis, a tree, Memecylon ovatus); Tipo (fr tipo, toothless)
Orani – Talimundoc (fr talimunduk, hill)
Pilar – Alauli (fr alauli, whirlpool); Uyong (fr uyung, arrow)
Samal – Palili (fr lili, to miss something, to get lost)
BULACAN
Angat – Laog (fr laug, a pond, reservoir of water)
Baliuag – Suliban (fr sulib, mussels); Tilapayong (fr telapayung, umbrella-shaped)
Balagtas – Dalig (fr dalig, wall)
Bocaue – Tambobong (fr tambubung, a kind of tagging game)
Bulacan – Balubad (fr balubad, cashew nut); Pitpitan (fr pitpitan, flatten and make compact)
Bustos – Tibagan (fr tibagan, to break down)
Guiguinto – Tuktukan (fr tuktukan, to peck)
Malolos – Balayong (fr balayun, to proceed) ; Matimbo (fr matimbu, with numerous reeds); Malolos (fr luslus, go downwards, down the coast or down a river)
Marilao – Lias (fr lias, the egg of a louse)
Meycauayan – Liputan (fr liput, to go round or make a detour)
Norzagaray – Bitungol (fr bitungul, a hairy worm)
Obando – Pagaga (fr pagaga, prone to crying); Paliwas (fr paliwas, to ask to alternate)
Pandi – Manatal (fr batal, neck); Masosu (fr masoso,well-immersed)
Paombong – Capitangan (fr kapitangan, halfway)
Plaridel – Dampol (fr dampul, a kind of dye); Lalangan (fr lalangan, to create); Quingua [former name] (fr qñg Uaua, at the mouth of the river)
Pulilan – Inaon (fr inaun, dug up); San Ildefonso – Pinaod (fr pinaud, nipa thatch for roofing); Tilapatio (fr telapatio, shaped like a church courtyard)
San Jose del Monte – Minuyan (fr miduyan or migduyan, got on a hammock or swing)
San Miguel – Batasan (fr batasan, short cut); Mandile (fr dili, alone, magdilidili, to go alone); Salangan (fr salangan, to probe, to fight)
San Rafael – Pinakpinakan (fr pinakpinak, sinking, becoming marshy); Salapungan (fr salapungan, forked); Talaksan (fr talaksan, a pile of firewood) ; Tambobong (fr tambubung, a kind of tagging game)
Santa Maria – Guyong (fr guyung-guyung, a certain tree or its wood); Kamangyanan (fr kamangyang, string beans)
NUEVA ECIJA
Aliaga – Bucot (fr bukut, bent or crooked); Pantoc (fr pantuk, struggle or wrestle); Sunson (fr sungsung, to add more money; a palm tree); Umangan (fr umangan, to trap)
Bongabon – Lusok (fr lusuk, sublime, sincere; more, greatly); Macabaclay (fr makabakle, lying across – originally makabaklay, before monophthongization in the 18th century); Malate (fr malati, small)
Cabanatuan – Cabu (fr kabu, vital movement in the veins of the neck, feel the heartbeat between the chest and the throat); Dalampang (fr dalampang, one who stumbles as he walks); Matungal-tungal (fr tunggal-tunggal, one by one); Sumacab (fr sakab, to lie face down)
Cabiao – Palasinan (fr palyasinan, a salt container); Sinipit (fr sinipit, pressed, caught in between, squeezed or crushed)
Carranglan – Minule (fr minuli, went home)
Cuyapo – Bantog-Talugtug (fr talugtug, incline downwards); Bibiclat (fr biklat, opened)
Gabaldon – Bagting (fr bagting, rope or string tied to posts or trees to trip people or animals; bow string); Macasandal (fr makasandal, leaning)
Gapan – Mangino (fr manginu, to serve)
Jaen – Manaol (fr manyaul, to overcome); Pamacpacan (fr pamakpakan to jolt by beating)
Laur – Bagting (fr bagting, rope or string tied to posts or trees to trip people or animals; bow string); Pangarulung, fr pangarulung the process of going downriver); Palupud (fr paludpud, stump or piece of trunk projecting from the ground)
Llanera – Casile (fr kasili, a kind of bird that goes under the water)
Muñoz – Bical (fr bikal, a species of reed) ; Buliran (fr buliran, where logs are thrown down into the water to flow them downriver)
Pantabangan – Ganduz (fr gandus, the taro, an edible root crop)
Rizal – Bicus (fr bikus, a bond coiled around a log or post to keep firm)
San Isidro – Alua (fr aliwa, different)
San Jose – Sibot (fr sibut, to appear, like a snake out of its hole)
San Leonardo – Mambangnan (fr nabangnan, to gain or share in)
Talavera – Dinarayat (fr dinayat, turned into seeding ground); Paludpad (fr paludpud, stump or piece of trunk projecting from the ground)
Talugtug – Mayamot (fr mayamut, with many roots)
Zaragoza – Manaul (fr manyaul, to overcome); Mayamot fr (mayamut, with many rootsBaliuag – Suliban (fr sulib, mussels); Tilapayong (fr telapayung, umbrella-shaped)
San Rafael – Pinakpinakan (fr pinakpinak, sinking, becoming marshy); Salapungan (fr salapungan, forked); Talaksan (fr talaksan, a pile of firewood) ; Tambobong (fr tambubung, a kind of tagging game)
Santa Maria – Guyong (fr guyung-guyung, a certain tree or its wood); Kamangyanan (fr kamangyang, string beans)
NUEVA ECIJA
Aliaga – Bucot (fr bukut, bent or crooked); Pantoc (fr pantuk, struggle or wrestle); Sunson (fr sungsung, to add more money; a palm tree); Umangan (fr umangan, to trap)
Bongabon – Lusok (fr lusuk, sublime, sincere; more, greatly); Macabaclay (fr makabakle, lying across – originally makabaklay, before monophthongization in the 18th century); Malate (fr malati, small)
Cabanatuan – Cabu (fr kabu, vital movement in the veins of the neck, feel the heartbeat between the chest and the throat); Dalampang (fr dalampang, one who stumbles as he walks); Matungal-tungal (fr tunggal-tunggal, one by one); Sumacab (fr sakab, to lie face down)
Cabiao – Palasinan (fr palyasinan, a salt container); Sinipit (fr sinipit, pressed, caught in between, squeezed or crushed)
Carranglan – Minule (fr minuli, went home)
Cuyapo – Bantog-Talugtug (fr talugtug, incline downwards); Bibiclat (fr biklat, opened)
Gabaldon – Bagting (fr bagting, rope or string tied to posts or trees to trip people or animals; bow string); Macasandal (fr makasandal, leaning)
Gapan – Mangino (fr manginu, to serve)
Jaen – Manaol (fr manyaul, to overcome); Pamacpacan (fr pamakpakan , to jolt by beating)
Laur – Bagting (fr bagting, rope or string tied to posts or trees to trip people or animals; bow string); Pangarulung, fr pangarulung the process of going downriver); Palupud (fr paludpud, stump or piece of trunk projecting from the ground)
Llanera – Casile (fr kasili, a kind of bird that goes under the water)
Muñoz – Bical (fr bikal, a species of reed) ; Buliran (fr buliran, where logs are thrown down into the water to flow them downriver)
Pantabangan – Ganduz (fr gandus, the taro, an edible root crop)
Rizal – Bicus (f r bikus, a bond coiled around a log or post to keep firm)
San Isidro – Alua (fr aliwa, different)
San Jose – Sibot (fr sibut, to appear, like a snake out of its hole)
San Leonardo – Mambangnan (fr nabangnan, to gain or share in)
Talavera – Dinarayat (fr dinayat, turned into seeding ground); Paludpad (fr paludpud, stump or piece of trunk projecting from the ground)
Talugtug – Mayamot (fr mayamut, with many roots)
Zaragoza – Manaul (fr manyaul, to overcome); Mayamot fr (mayamut, with many roots)
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1 Language hot spots
<http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/langhotspots/hotspots/TNP/index.html >
2 Fwd: Re: [hispanofilipino] Invitación de Justo Orros/Imperial subdialect
<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/DILA/conversations/messages/7085>
3 Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas by Miguel de Loarca
<http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=philamer;cc=philamer;q1=calonpite;rgn=full%20text;idno=atd7328.0005.001;didno=atd7328.0005.001;view=image;seq=00000087>
4 Samson, Venancio. Kapampangan Dictionary. Angeles City: Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, 2011.