Panangawes: Glossary of traditional wear, with emphasis on Pangasinan terms
At
the time of contact with European colonialists, ancient Pangasinans
in then Caboloan are said to have these as daily clothing: men wore
G-string, while women wore not only the local equivalent of baro't saya,
but also Chinese silks and cotton garments, based on a Boxer Codex
illustration and according to Chinese records referring to Pangasinan as
Feng-jia-shi-lan. Both nobility and commoners wore gold ornaments.
Through
the centuries, Pangasinans have developed their own peculiar terms
when dealing with cloth and clothing. Based on the 1971
Pangasinan-English dictionary by Richard Benton, solong -- a common term which means "to wear (mangisolong) or to put on clothing, etc. (isolong)" -- has a synonym, solot, which means "to wear clothes (mansolot)" in particular. Pales, which is bihis in Tagalog or "to change clothing (manpales)," another common term in any language, has a variant in palit, which means, not only "to have new clothes (manpalit)," but also "to buy clothes."
Laboy means to "use clothes, etc. for the first time," while a synonymous word is sokab,
which has the more general meaning of "to use or wear something for
the first time." These two terms, in particular, reflect an old
practice of ritualizing the use of any object for the first time. For
instance, someone in the household who is considered physically strong
must be the one to use a newly bought or newly acquired object, to
ensure that it will be durable. Another term for laboy is palili.
Potik is "to decorate cloth etc. with braided threads."
The language gets colorful with action words that involve cleaning or cutting. Pakpak is "to beat cotton or cloth with a rod," palang is "to cut or tear cloth (or paper) diagonally or in a curve," payag is "to shake cloth, mat, etc. to remove dust," while sarang is "to air clothing."
Soysoy is an adjective to describe the "frayed condition of sleeves or collar, unhemmed pieces of cloth, etc."
Salutsot refers to the "accidental pulling of thread on a cloth or a garment, causing small knots."
The
following are the terms Pangasinenses have evolved and adopted through
the years to refer to traditional wear in particular. Interestingly,
there are also specialized terms to refer to attire in the event of
death of a family member. Baliwan is "black clothing worn by a person in mourning; to wear such clothing (manbaliwan)." Dalungdong is
"black headcloth worn by female relatives of deceased for one year
(until bakas); to put a veil on the head (mandalungdong)." Panes is
a "piece of black cloth pinned on clothing of relatives of the
deceased, worn as a sign of mourning for one year, until the bakas or
death anniversary; to wear such a piece of cloth (manpanes)." Balanget is crown, especially of flowers placed on head of dead person; to wear a crown (manbalanget) or to crown (balangetan).
Abaca (pinukpok) - local fabric made from Manila hemp (Musa textilis) fibers
Abaray - Pangasinan for alampay; sablay; indigenous loose garment worn hanging from the shoulder during formal occasions
Agua de ojetes - underskirt or camison
Americana - suit, often all-black or all-white (called duck suit)
Aysing - general Pangasinan term for a girl's dress
Balanget - Pangasinan for crown, especially of flowers placed on head of dead person; to wear a crown (man-) or to crown (man-)
Balanggot - wide-brimmed hat in many languages (Tagalog, etc.); buntal hat (made of buri leaves)?
Balintawak
– "a traditional dress composed of a shortened skirt, with puffy
butterfly short sleeves, plaid textile, and low-cut bodice and at times
plenty of ornate embroidery; worn during picnics and other jaunts into
the countryside, epitomizing Filipina gaiety, light-heartedness and a
sense of rural roots, signaling song, dance, and festivity"; may also
refer to the panuelo-turned-seguet worn folded and hung on the shoulder,
ever ready to wipe a sweaty face
Balintawak - blouse with butterfly sleeves that reach the elbow or 2 inches above the elbow
Baro - refers to the camisa or plain bodice for women
Baro - blouse with bell-shaped sleeves that vary in length, from wrist- to elbow-length
Barong, Barong Tagalog - formal shirt for men made of jusi and other often sheer and heavily embroidered fabrics
Baston - from Spanish for cane; also, men's trousers with tapered hem
Bastikol – a Pangasinan version of hat made for men, which was paired with an abiang (anahaw) frond rain gear called kalapiaw
Belo, velo - veil
Calzoncillo, Karsonsillo - men's earlier version of boxer shorts which were all-white
Camisa - top for women used as inner wear
Camisa
de chino – a cotton shirt with round collar and buttons (Chinese
style); often white or light in color; may be short- or long-sleeved
Camiseta de china - undershirt with-Chinese style collar
Camison, Kamison - chemise
Carcho - footwear
Carson, Karson - general term for underwear for both men and women and children
Chinelas, Tsinelas, Sinelas - slippers or slip-ons
Cocho - beaded slippers
Inagua - slip, sapad, binabaye
Jusi - from Chinese husi, fine, sheer, silk-like fabric made from plant fibers
Kalapiaw - a Pangasinan improvised rain gear made from abiang (anahaw) frond
Kamiseta, Camiseta, Sando - sleeveless shirt used as undershirt and house wear or bed wear
Kawes - general Pangasinan term for clothing for both men and women
Kayo - Pangasinan piece of cloth
Kola, De cola – "skirt tail" or "with skirt tail" in Spanish
Kimono - women's inner shirt for baro't saya
Kimona - a sheer, embroidered or unembroidered, sleeveless blouse cut in poncho style
Kolibemben –
Pangasinan for alampay, panuelo, shawl; as scarf: baksa among the
Visayans; babarahin in Tagalog; kandungga or panyolon in Waray
Lamping, Lampin - cloth diaper for the newborn
Latop - a general term to refer to any clothing worn on top of another as protection against cold weather
Maria
Clara - "a formal dress composed of baro for top, sobrefalda or
overskirt, and baksa or scarf, and often with petticoat, the dress
accented by jewelry and other accessories"
Maria
Clara - balintawak blouse with alampay placed around the shoulders
like a shawl, the alampay a square piece of cloth folded into a
triangle
Maskota skirt - siesgo skirt; A-line cut or bias-cut skirt
Milionario – white or black Americana suit and pants for men
Palda - Tagalog and Pangasinan for skirt; saya; sapey
PƔndoƱg - Pangasinan for mantilla, veil, velo, belo
Pantalon - trousers, pants
Panuelo,
PaƱuelo - a piece of large square cloth worn as shawl or covering of
shoulders and breasts; folded in half into a triangle; often with
intricate embroidery
Panyo - from Spanish paƱo, kerchief
Pasador
- an early version of women's menstruation napkin or sanitary napkin
made of katsa (from Spanish calcha) or muslin fabric
Paselkag - Pangasinan term for terno with stiffened sleeves
Paypay
- fan; used not just an accessory, but as an instrument to send coded
messages (from flirtation to rejection); may be called abanico if made
with buri
Patadyong
– "a woven skirt usually having a plaid pattern in colors of green,
yellow, red and orange. Unlike the saya which is made out of silk, the
patadyong looks humble and is usually made of cotton."
Peineta,
Paineta - "a large decorative comb usually worn under a mantilla, or
lace head covering. The hair ornament, worn by women, consists of a
convex body and a set of teeth that affix it to hair worn in a bun"
PiƱa - prized rough fabric made from pineapple fibers
Pinapin - early female underwear in Pangasinan
Putot - Pangasinan for sanwal (knee-length drawstring shorts) worn by men as they worked in the farm
Sambra - Pangasinan long-sleeved shirt that is worn together with putot; usually made of cotton
Sanwal, Sangwal - Pangasinan knee-length drawstring shorts worn by men as housewear; made of think fabric; like puruntong shorts; cf.: salawal?
Sapatos - from the Spanish zapatos, shoes
Sapuey, Sapey
- Pangasinan for saya, ankle-length or knee-length skirt; may be folded
halfway when worn in the farm or while wading in water, with the hem
inserted at the hip
Saya - Tagalog for long skirt, below the knee or ankle-length or longer
Sayang de cola, Palda de cola - any skirt with a tail that flows on the floor
Serpentina
– "a Filipiniana or Maria Clara version in early 1900s which has a
skirt that was narrowed at the top but generously wide at the bottom and
lined with a stiff cloth made of abaca, with the bottom part of the
skirt separate from the top"
Serpentina - a skirt with a tail that flows on the floor and the extension of which can be hung or inserted from the waist
Siesgo or Maskota skirt - A-line cut or bias-cut skirt
Sinelas, Chinelas, Tsinelas - slippers or slip-ons
Sobrefalda - overskirt; see Tapis
Suecos – Pangasinan for bakya; wooden clogs
Sueget –
in Pangasinan, what the panuelo evolved into with the introduction of
the camisole; “made of starchy and stiff material akin to that of the
baro, worn more as a fashion accent than a cover”
Takuko - in Pangasinan, an extra-wide-brimmed woven hat worn by women when it rained
Tamborin, Estampita, Escapulario - neck ornaments that double as religious (Catholic) objects
Taparida - sapin in Tagalog; a piece of cloth placed on the back when the back is damp, to avoid catching cold or getting sick
Tapis
– filter; apron-like rectangular piece of clothing worn for modesty on
top of the saya or skirt, in the absence of panties/lingerie
Terno
– "from the Spanish word for 'matching,' one-piece gown in the same
material for the bodice and the skirt that is straight or flared and cut
down to a floor-length hemline"
Traje de boda - wedding dress
Traje de mestiza - modernized (1900s) version of the Maria Clara with updated modifications, including a train
Velo - see belo
Yabyab - Pangasinan wide-brimmed woven hat made of buri
Zapatilla - shoes called step-in
***
References:
Prof. Januario Cuchapin
"Lingayen: Memories of Times Past" (2021) by Arabella Ventenilla Arcinue
A Quick History of the Filipiniana, Also Known as the 'Maria Clara' Gown | Tatler Asia
Melchor Orpilla
Santiago Villafania
Rosario Cortez's Pangasinan history book
Joey Ferrer
Fr. Lorenzo Fernandez Cosgaya's Pangasinan-Spanish Dictionary
Richard Benton's Pangasinan-English Dictionary, 1971
Carmencita Pacis