Pamilya Ko: My Family in Filipino by Jocelyn Francisco, Ph.D.
Regular price
$14.95
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Share this Product
Pamilya Ko is the fourth of the language series. Pamilya Ko introduces family terms in Tagalog/Filipino.
Filipinos place great emphasis on the solidarity of the family unit. In a Filipino household, it is common to find three generations living together. Often, grandparents play a large role in raising their grandchildren. Close familial relationships often go beyond one’s genetic connections or bloodlines to incorporate distant relatives, close neighbors, or friends. For example, it is common to hear people refer to distant relatives or non-relatives with familial terms such as ‘tita’ (aunt), ‘tito’ (uncle), ‘lola’ (grandmother) and ‘lolo’ (grandfather).
The importance of family is also very prevalent in the everyday language used by Filipinos. While we would normally use “sir” and “madam” to refer to people we do not know informally, Filipinos occasionally use “kuya” and “ate” – meaning “older brother” and “older sister” in Filipino – to address them. These can be, but not limited to, their taxi driver, their local barista or even a stranger on the street they want to get the attention of. When amongst people they know personally, Filipinos use “tito” and “tita” when addressing the parents of their friends. It may seem unusual for foreigners to hear them refer to people outside of their family as one of their own, but this is second nature to all Filipinos and shows just how deeply rooted familial bonds are in their culture.
Filipinos place great emphasis on the solidarity of the family unit. In a Filipino household, it is common to find three generations living together. Often, grandparents play a large role in raising their grandchildren. Close familial relationships often go beyond one’s genetic connections or bloodlines to incorporate distant relatives, close neighbors, or friends. For example, it is common to hear people refer to distant relatives or non-relatives with familial terms such as ‘tita’ (aunt), ‘tito’ (uncle), ‘lola’ (grandmother) and ‘lolo’ (grandfather).
The importance of family is also very prevalent in the everyday language used by Filipinos. While we would normally use “sir” and “madam” to refer to people we do not know informally, Filipinos occasionally use “kuya” and “ate” – meaning “older brother” and “older sister” in Filipino – to address them. These can be, but not limited to, their taxi driver, their local barista or even a stranger on the street they want to get the attention of. When amongst people they know personally, Filipinos use “tito” and “tita” when addressing the parents of their friends. It may seem unusual for foreigners to hear them refer to people outside of their family as one of their own, but this is second nature to all Filipinos and shows just how deeply rooted familial bonds are in their culture.