One of the things that has come out of this huge debate over the DAP controversy is the resurrection of a dead language called Latin.
There was a time in Manila that Latin was de regueur among the youth. If you didn’t know any Latin you would not count.
Today, only lawyers, doctors and priests have preserved this language that even Italians no longer speak, unless they attend a Messa in Latino in one of those tiny churches in Italy attended by old women.
My hubby Alan, who speaks three languages, decided to delve into Latin and he made a surprising discovery. Latin, although long dead and long buried, is still evolving. Especially in the legal field.
And so he decided to write about his findings:
Legal Latin for idiots
One of the results of the ongoing debate about the constitutionality of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is that it has attracted flocks of lawyers spouting legal terms the public can barely understand.It’s like somebody kicked a huge legal beehive over and a great angry swarm of bees flew out, all of them buzzing in Latin.
Lawyers, judges, law students, fresh law grads and legal experts have surrounded the Constitution, fiercely arguing among themselves and attacking any non-lawyer who dares come close, warding off the masses with high-level law degree wands casting Latin bolts.
Some of them sound like high priests or adepts muttering incantations that resemble Harry Potter spells. Nobody is sure if they’re trying to impress the public or mumbling enchantments to raise the unholy dead (i.e., Marcos). For all we know, one of the enchantments is a “Latin Force field of Repulsion.”
This is particularly hard on most journalists, whose knowledge of Latin is close to zero (nullus maximus) and whose range of professional expressions is limited to phrases like “I’m not finished yet”, or “but I sent it already!”, or “I’ll pay that later” or “one for the road.”
Just about the only Latin expression they understand is “et cetera” and how often does that come out in legal arguments? We’re guessing the lawyers make sure they avoid using it, to prevent anybody from accidentally understanding and following the discussion.
So, as part of our strict and ongoing commitment to public service, we’re publishing this brief list of legal Latin terms and sayings in the hope that this will enrich the discussion and help journalists understand what’s going on as they take one more for the road.
To read the rest, please click on this link.
Tomas Gomez III says
‘Shoose’ me lang po……hindi ba mas tumpak ang “di riguer” over “de regueur?” Salamat!
leona says
People are waiting to listen to PNoy’s Sona = Populus expectans ad audire de PNoy Sona.
Yolanda victimas, plus vult PNoy pecuniam! = Yolanda victims wants more funds from PNoy!
Sana walang PICUNAN!
leona says
Panem walang picunan! … eh! Mayroon pala ‘walang picunan’ sa Latin! hehehe
(Sana walang picunan!)
Parekoy says
Latin Language of Inmates
Napoles is ordered by the Sandiganbayan to be transferred and detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa at Bicutan, Taguig City. She will be reunited with her BFF, Gigi, her co-accused. On the advise of her lawyer Atty. David, she and Gigi should not speak tagalog or english since he suspects that that particular jail is bugged.
Question 1: Ano ang gagamitin na language ni Napoles at Gigi pag natuloy ang pagsasama nila sa Bicutan, upang hindi sila maintindihan ng mga buggers?
Hirit na ?
…….
Answer: Lengua franca
Question 2: Ano ang paborito nilang prison dish during dinner?
Hint: Biology students, I am rooting for you to get this first. Esep esep…
Answer: Mytilus Edulis
Question 3: Ano ang pangalan nito sa english?
Hint: Another pig-latin name for this is Mytinggilis Sadulis. And if this food turns stale, the Latin name is Mytulos Bladis .
Answer: Mussels
Parekoy
07/28/2014
Posting after my devouring my wife’s succulent mussel dish! (talap!)
duquemarino says
@Parekoy, paano saLatin ang Mani?
Parekoy says
@duquemarino
per your request, I searched my pure chaste Latin mind and came up with this:
Peanut – Mytinggilis Cunningulis
Parekoy says
Lifted from Parekoy’s Latin Dictionary:
Lesbian – Clitoris Amoritis
Gay – Pontius Phillatius
Parekoy says
Those men who agree with my views have this:
Gargantus Phallus Maximus
And those who disagree have:
Pumilus Phallus Minimus
Parekoy says
@duquemarino,
I don’t know if you are aware about the category of your rethorical question, but I am still pondering how to classify it.
Rethorical Questions:
Anthypophora – A figure of reasoning in which one asks and then immediately answers one’s own questions (or raises and then settles imaginary objections).
Erotema – The rhetorical question. To affirm or deny a point strongly by asking it as a question.
I don’t know what seems appropriate Anthypophora, which is closest by definition, or Erotema, which is more appropriate for the erotically inclined tympanic membrane? Would philosophy addicts accuse me of using a pysma*?
–
–
*Pysma -The asking of multiple questions successively (which would together require a complex reply). A rhetorical use of the question.
Parekoy
07/31/2014
Posting after briefly asking the meaning of life…
netty says
These pieces of ALAN’S incorporated in your blog are a nice segway ( “segue” ) from a serious mind,heart provoking discussion to a funny lighthearted rest stop. Cpmers are able to have some relief and have laugh therapy moments before attacking another virulent piece.’
Laborandum est, sed pretium [ Work hard but have fun]
[ My Latin goggle search as per my sosyalera BFF says i-goggle .ko daw, ;)
raissa says
I am now finalizing my piece –
Is Janet Lim Napoles framing Budget Secretary Butch Abad?
Kalahari says
NO. Janet could not frame her high-class mentor – but go ahead, I’m waiting with bated breath.
leona says
She must alleged that she was ‘tutored’ in details by the Sec. for no less than 3-7 days on how to pdap-pdap the funds!
Does Ben HurLuy have any knowledge on this tutoring? Or anybody of the whistle-blowers? They must have been present during those dap-daping class days. What if there was CCTV during the occasions?
Credibility and credible will be crucial on Janet Napoles’ story on this.
raissa says
A Jaymart de Villa sent me this DM –
* * * *
Jaymart de Villa
25 July 22:47
stop being a YELLOW ZOMBIE and fooling Filipinos around the world! How much are you earning from this stupid government?
* * * *
This punk so irritated me that I was provoked into saying naughty words to him, which I now regret. I quickly tapped out a reply to him, laced with some curse words. My friends will attest that they have never heard me curse, although I know all the cuss words that would make a hardy sailor blush.
* * * *
Jaymart/Elbert must have seen what I had written before I had deleted it. He posted gleefully:
If you are not guilty you wouldn’t react that way. Putak ng Putak. I don’t say bad words to people it’s in fact unethical.
* * * *
Jaymart/Elbert didn’t think that asking me – “How much are you earning from this stupid government?” – are very bad words to me.
But I now realize, after looking at his profile, that he probably suffers from maternal neglect. And that he’s projecting to me his hostility toward his mommy.
And that by saying what he said, he probably hopes I will stop writing what he doesn’t want me to write.
What else, do you think, should I say to him, guys?
Parekoy says
1. The truth.
2. Ignore
3. “I did not know that you are also a fan of Walking Dead!”
4. “It seems you have a potential of being a good litigator, you framed the questions very well.”
5. “Please wait until the FOI bill is approved, I might see if I am one of the recipients of in project 73.”
6. “Secret…”
7. “Ingat daw habang naglalakad dito sa blogsite ko baka raw Madafaka!
Seroiusly, @raissa it comes in the territory, people will praise you, some will criticize you, and some will curse you. I’ll take the curse as flattery if I were you. It confirms the diversity of readers and posters of this blog. A true democrcacy allows criticisms however extreme.
Looking at the bright side, even the people who are prejudiced whot think that you are a paid hack, indeed spent the effort to read your blog. You’ll never know, they might also agree on some of your other opinions. In my book, you achieved your purpose.
Parekoy
Posting after yoga
Parekoy says
Errata:
you might see if I was one of the recipients of project 73…
“ingat daw sabi ni @parekoy…
prejudice, who think…
raissa says
ano yung project 73?
Parekoy says
Nasa DAP list yun. Di ba attachment as pdf sa isang topic mo, yun “please help me analyze…”.
Project 73 – infra (lump sum, walang itemization, prone to corruption yun).
Kalahari says
Just thank him for his sarcastic blast – and he’ll be annoyed. He belongs to the fanatical SS troopers of junjun binay
leona says
When I read those words I thought I saw YELLOW ZOMBIERINE!
… rising up your ADRENALINE!
Accolades are for you! Like the Captain of the Boat ‘Take her up!’ After seeing it’s an enemy destroyer “DIVE! DIVE!’
‘Ready Tube 1, 2 and 3! ‘ Range? “Two thousand yards Ma’am!’ ‘Fire 1! Fire 2! Fire 3!’ ‘ Take her down to 70 feet!’
BOOM! CRACK BOOM! ‘Its COLLAPSING! BOOM!’ ‘Sonar?’ ‘That was a German U-Boat Ma’am . . .U-JdVreck 66!’
SchieB auf Villa!
more . . .
leona says
…Tama si Parekoy@ . . . ‘ignore’
It goes to show you are doing perfectly alright and effective. And some or many wants you to be down. Normal yan. Many are envious. Many are trying to be evil genius. Truth? Nah. They know it already that’s the reason to bring you down.
Keep on.
Parekoy says
A few years back when I was having a training in NY City about leadership and teamwork, our trainer a former secretary of Collin Powell, emphasized the importance of working with difficult people. We discussed how to handle positive and negative criticisms. The training helps me a lot in dealing with people.
The trainer had so many stories on Collin Powell’s style of management and I enjoyed listening about inner workings in the corridors of American government.
Just realized, we have the thickest-skinned creatures thicker than Lolong among the onion-skinned masses. Incredible isn’t it?
greenpea says
people with no argument and resort to name calling are not worth your time. For all we know sya ang bayaran. Just ignore and delete comments like these. Deny them the attention they desperately crave.
moonie says
punk now know your weak point, and that by pushing your weak point, he will get a response. he’ll bring you down to his level if you let him. contaminate you.
dont give punk energy, dont let him suck you dry. deny him the discourse he want. so shift your focus. block his access to you. he should get the message you dont want to hear from him and if he persist and bullies you, then block his access permanently. you’re not a martyr, not his agony aunt too. you dont have to put up with him. only good people with good intention can access you. so be choosy. choose the good and disregard the bad. that should give bad a lesson that if he continue to be bad, he’ll get no access but if he’ll become good, he might be able to access you.
you cannot please all people. might as well continue on with what you’re doing.
it’s all right to be successful. you have fans and admirers worldwide. bet punk wish the same for himself. be successful and at the same time get paid for doing what it is you love doing the most. maybe not paid paltry sum by the government, or by the opposition, but paid heaps by advertisers keen to advertise in your blog because they can access much wider audience, more exposure for them, more potential customers buying their products. and the more products they sold, the more they advertise. and the more you’ll get paid. I’ve heard of younger bloggers, teenagers, writing about fashion, music, make up and events of daily lives earning more from advertisers and being paid more than you.
advertisers may not care what you write, what your political view is if you have any, but they care about your audience, your multitudes of audience, their potential customers and buyers.