THE CORRECT TRANSLATION OF “PINK” IN FILIPINO

 

THE CORRECT TRANSLATION OF “PINK” IN FILIPINO 

In Philippine politics today, the battle of colors is seems to be the revolving program of election campaigns. For the coming 2022 Presidential Election, the colors red and pink are the major protagonists. Red being the color of the Filipino masses’ favorite, Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr, and pink being the adapted political shade of Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, departing from the now infamous and villainous yellow color the Liberal Party.

It came to my attention that there is a scholarly debate with regards to the correct translation equivalent of the English word “pink” in Tagaog or Filipino.

Indeed, do you know what is “pink” in Tagalog or Filipino? It’s not “rosas.” This is a persistent mistake in English-to-Filipino translation. Some English-Tagalog vocabulary/dictionary do carry this mistake.

The word “rosas” etymologically was derived from the Spanish rosa (which is “rose” in English). The color rosas tyically was based on the color of a certain variety of rose flower that in reality is equivalent to the English “fuchsia,” a bright purplish-red color, which is also the name of another flower having the same color. The true “pink” color is of very light red with a slight tinge of yellow, which is more consistent with the begonia and caryophyl flower, and some variety of cherry blossom, though there are also roses with pink shades.

So, what is the correct word translation for “pink” in Tagalog? The answer is “malabulaw” or “malabu.” Formed from the rootword bulaw which is “gold” or “golden” in English, and the prefix mala (the loose equivalent of the English prefix semi that in this instance suggest to mean “vague resemblance”).

During the time of the Spanish occupation, unscrupulous traders used to make fake gold jewelries. Real gold does not change its color and has an inherent shine, while the fake gold or copperized gold tends to turn pinkish as time passed or when subjected to acidity, and it’s color fades. The fake gold were called malabulaw, which in turn was also the term given to its faded rusty pinkish color.

In some instances, the shortened word “malabu” or “malapu” (perhaps shortened from malapula, which is “semi-red”) was also used to describe faded red color. This is also used to describe doubt or uncertainty that pertains to an object or circumstance, and to a person or animal that is “sickly.” While the color “pula” (red) is used to describe utmost love and courage, “malabulaw” or “malabu” (pink) pertains to doubtfulness, treachery, indecisiveness, and lack of integrity.