What’s in a name

Sunstar Essay: What’s in a name
By Erma M. Cuizon
Sun.star essay

That which we call a rose will smell as sweet. You get used to it.

Take the local term “habal-habal.” Chances are, through the years, the meaning of the word will change with its use in another context, say, as a public motorcycle ride. Even now, anyone living in the mountain barangays in the city uses the word with a straight face.

In just a few years more, the word’s original insinuation of intercourse between dogs will be gone and your great grandchildren will take habal-habal to mean a thrilling motorcycle ride. Then there will be a sports game called Cebu Habal-habal Open. Or an enterprising business would come up with second-hand motorcycles and call them “Habal-habal at affordable prices.”

That is how a word gets another edge in terms of use and, completely, the original word or its meaning will be lost forever.

Like the name of most barangays out of 81. When an old name is changed because say, a politician, has died and now deserves a barrio named after him, or for slight reason, then the story of the barangay’s origin is gone forever.

The original names have stories that have endeared themselves to the people and acquired a life of their own not identified with contemporary politics. There must be an area in the city that should keep the old names so that the origins do not go with the changing lifestyle.

Perhaps there was a time in the old Sugbu when most shoemakers lived in that barrio that now is called Zapatera district. This is not the origin of the name of this barangay, or it’s not said, but the truth may be close to it.

Or this could inspire serious research work.

You can imagine the stories behind the barangays called Busay (waterfalls) or Sapangdaku (big river). But one could surmise the stories behind other city barangays---Pit-os (narrow path), Basak (rice fields), Pulangbato (red rock). And you get intrigued with what the other names mean-–Binaliw (like mad?), Malubog (dirty water?), Pung-ol (trim?), Day-as, Banawa, Budla-an.

There are many stories to names of places relevant to where or how they were first discovered by roving natives of long ago---a place with coconuts flourishing (Kalubihan) or maguey (Kamagayan).

Names that speak of locations, as found in the old terrain behind trees or beyond a rock, at a mountainside, or in some hidden nature’s fortress reached through a narrow footpath, include Kinasang-an, Babag, Sudlon, Tabunan.

There were also origins during the Spanish times, like Carreta, which was where horses used in horse racing at the Hippodrome (Hipodromo) were kept (thus “carreta,” meaning horse quarter or cuadra).

But you’ll never know what Agsungot means; probably it comes from the word “aginod sa sungot” (climbing up the coconut tree?), but you could only guess unless you go back in time for that original tale.

We came across news of a proposal that Barangay Buot Taup is changed to “Buot” and to add “Riverside” and so, nothing much would be destroyed of the old name. This has been an effort, probably, to change insinuations of a sex joke.

Here, it would be only right to try and research on the old name.

Names of places not of the standard choices do exist. There are such towns or villages as Accident, Maryland and Angels Landing in Utah, Bird In Hand of Pennsylvania or Carefree, Arizona.

Head-Smashed-In, Buffalo has a history of Indians leading buffalos over a cliff to kill them (probably for food, in a buffalo feast?). But towns or villages called Last Chance are found in California, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma and in the Yukon Territory.

In Oklahoma, there’s a place called Okay. Well, this is better than if you get down from a bus to Purgatory, Colorado or to a small college town called Walla Walla in Washington State.

There are city or town streets that could be named after local political leaders and historic personalities, but the names of barangays would be good left as they are.

Names of places, even towns, all over the world have very interesting origins you will miss if, for instance, you change Guba to Reyes.