Emerging Weather Terminologies vis-a-vis Traditional Pangasinan Terms

Emerging Weather Terminologies vis-a-vis Traditional Pangasinan Terms

(Or, Rain/Ulan vs Uran)

An article says the words 'hurricane,' 'cyclone,' and 'typhoon' are basically the same, all synonyms of 'tropical cyclone.' What about 'storm'? Aren't they all called 'bagyo' in Filipino? It can get confusing, right?

Perhaps realizing that there has to be different terms for different magnitudes and intensities of weather disturbances, PAGASA eventually came up with a list of tropical cyclone classifications according to wind speed. In Tagalog, ayon sa bilis ng hangin.

I wonder if they have ever heard of Pangasinan's unbelievable number of words for rain?

Here's what the agency has invented so far:

- low pressure area (LPA)/tropical disturbance: a weather system originating in the tropics or subtropics that maintains its identity for at least 24 hours and may cause heavy rainfall

- tropical depression (TD): maximum sustained winds of up to 61 kilometers per hour (kph)

- tropical storm (TS): maximum sustained winds of 62-88 kph.

- severe tropical storm (STS): maximum sustained winds of 89-117 kph.

- typhoon (TY): maximum sustained winds of 118-184 kph.

- super typhoon (STY): maximum sustained winds of more than 185 kph.

*If I may correct, the last one should be written as supertyphoon or super-typhoon because 'super' in this case is not an independent word but technically acting as a prefix, a particle that changes the meaning of the word it is attached to at the start of the word. To cite examples in popular usage: Superman, supermarket, superstar, supersaturated, supernova, superscript, supernumerary, superintendent, etc. We don't spell out these words with a separate 'super.' And we normally don't use prefixes such as mini-, mega-, quasi-, quadri-, etc. as independent words. #petpeeve

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On the other hand, here are ancient and current Pangasinan terms, which -- though not as exacting and scientific -- are impressive in terms of their nuance in meaning and number of variety:

- Uran or rain per se is associated with the adjectives maksil (strong) or makapoy (weak).

Weak rain

- maya-maya - drizzle, often a prelude to a stronger rain
- tayaketek - light rain that result in a pitter-patter sound on the roof
- ura'y akulaw and uran ya maanos - other terms for tayaketek

Moderate rain

- dalapa - "rare weather phenomenon in which it rains while the sun is shining"
- uran-bakes or ura'y bakes - a little rain that suddenly comes then suddenly stops, while the sun is shining
- nepnep na duweg or uran na duweg - literally, ulan ng kalabaw or carabao's rain or carabao's non-stop rain, meaning not-so-strong, nonstop rain that drags its feet like a carabao and thus stays too long in the locality
- uran ya benger - literally, ulan na matigas ang ulo or hard-headed rain, meaning rain that is not that strong but doesn't seem to stop
- siyam-siyam - seemingly endless rain
- tagitak - sudden rain or downpour
- nepnep - rainy season

Heavy rain

- uran a libog-libog - particularly heavy rain
- beye-beye - "nonstop heavy downpour"
- binak-binak - "raining cats and dogs"
- aloboob - a typhoon that brings torrential rain
- alimbusabos - tornado

Cloudy weather

- malurem - 'cloudy,' a sign that heavy rain is approaching and there will be thunder and lightning, so people often stay inside their homes
- makâkauran - also used to refer to impending rain; synonyms: mankulirem or mankuliremdem
- makuyemyem or mayemyem - makulimlim; a general term to describe a mildly inclement weather due to gloomy, shadowy, overcast skies

Foggy weather

- kelpa - fog
- linaew - dew at night
- malinaew - foggy
- amol - dew at dawn or in the morning

Windy weather

- alamag - "a harsh wind but does not come as typhoon"
- abagat - southeast or east wind
- amian, miskey - north winds that bring cold weather
- timog - south wind
- maragem - windy
- mapalpalna or masiasiasem ya dagem - a gentle breeze

Flooding

Even flooding has resulted in a variety of terms.

- elnab - "weak flood that stays for a limited time"
- danas - "flood with strong force"
- lanayap or lanayap so danom - the large amount of water that accumulates during typhoon, resulting in widespread or great flood

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Natural portents of bad weather

According to Andico, et al. (2015), “Signs of an impending storm (or strong rain or the coming wet season) are as numerous as the stars in the skies” among ancient Pangasinans, including those from Bolinao. "Locals knew when typhoons or aramag (makmaksil ya dagem) will occur in a particular time during the dry and wet season." "Locals also knew when rains would come earlier in between the seasons." These natural weather forecasters include:
- whirling-like cloud formation
- circling clouds from the east
- sudden surge of bitingly cold wind or pul-oy (biglaan ya mapalasapas ya dagem)
- winds (dagudog) emanating from the west (panrupan)
- early morning wind amyan (mapayapayan dagem na kabuasan)
- dark and red color that shades the sky
- sun’s corona which shades the moon
- cloud formations (narakam-rakam nen genem)
- fast sailing clouds are signs of storms
- whenever the sun is not in its full rounded shape
- at sunset, the sun is manlomdeg (kapantaklep) or turns red
- whenever a rainbow appears in the west with heavy clouds
- a short arc rainbow in the east or baylan
- thunder (karol) that roars from the north amianan (amian), the south bagatan (sagur), and east (baylan)
- white, sud-like bubbles of the waves (daloyon) or whenever the sea shows crystal-clear water
- strong waves, which appear like firefly (kalintutudoy kankanti)
- turbulent waves which criss-cross the vast sea as in a lightning (kirmat)
- the sounds emitted by the kingfisher salasak and the crow, as these fly northward
- any bird that quips for three consecutive nights
- the appearance of the flying ants andadalok (untitikyab ya tabuney)
- the advent of a flock of birds, manok-manok, from the north and flying towards the shore
- low-flying praying mantis
- chicken roosting on the treetops until late morning
- croaking of the frog
- whenever the sea cucumber (balat) rises above the water
- when schools of fish jump in and out of the sea
- algae, lumot-lumot (lamuyak), are washed ashore
- seaweeds (ruot) float in seemingly as these are tossed by the waves

Other associated beliefs

Rain is a blessing, but it is also a curse when it falls on the chosen date of any big event, such as wedding, christening, or anything that requires a major gathering of relatives, friends, and the community. Locals therefore routinely resort to little rituals to avert an impending rain.

If a big event is threatened by an impending rain, locals resort to these simple counter-spell strategies (panagsura rituals) on the day before the major activity:

- Hang outside the shirt that you will be wearing to the occasion.
- Wave a broom or broomstick at the sky. Offer raw eggs to saints on the altar.

Another panagsura ritual to forestall the bad weather (such as an impending thunderstorm) is performed on the big day itself:

- Burn cloth (any used cloth, for example) and shake the burning cloth under the floor of the house.

Yet another ritual that residents in Hermoza routinely do to dissuade, as it were, the impending rain from falling on their parade is as follows:

- Once it rains while everyone is inside the house, draw a sun on a piece of paper, have it colored, and show the drawing to the sky. But before it rains, draw a picture of the sun right on the soil.

Other beliefs and practices related to rain, thunder, and lightning are aplenty.

- When there is thunder, do not wear red, or lightning might strike you.

- Kung kumikidlat, magwilig ng suka sa mga bintana at pinto. (If there's lightning, spray vinegar on windows and doors.)

- Maglagay ng palaspas sa pintuan o bintana para pangontra sa kidlat. (Place a blessed palm leaf on the door or window to prevent lightning.)

- Kapag kumukulog, huwag maingay dahil naglalaro ng bowling si San Pedro. (When it thunders, don't make noise because San Pedro is playing bowling.)

- Manames ka ed perprimiron oran na Mayo pian arawi kad sakit. (Maligo sa pinakaunang ulan sa Mayo upang malayo ka sa sakit.)

- If the day is hot or humid and you want it to rain, give your cat a bath.

- Huwag gumamit ng payong na kulay pula o may patusok na bakal sa tuktok baka makidlatan. (Do not use a red umbrella or one that has a spike on the top because it might be struck by lightning.)

- Takpan ang mga salamin pag kumukulog at/o kumikidlat dahil tinatamaan ng kidlat ang salamin. (Cover glasses (glass windows) during thunder and/or lightning because the lightning strikes the glass.)

- Make the sign of the cross and say, "Jesus, Maria, Joseph," whenever there's heavy rain, lightning and thunder, as protection.

- Additionally, according to Santiago Villafania, “there's a traditional prayer or oracion passed down by the elders to ward off unforeseen obstacles such as sudden rain, especially during emergencies or urgent situations where immediate presence is crucial: “Lihis Tagitak Sagranatak Paparunatak.” Tagitak refers to sudden downpour.” A precolonial, pre-Christian oratio imperata if there ever was one.

Additional references: Melchor Orpilla (FB post); Pangasinan: Pinablin Dalin (book); Bayambang Culture Mapping Project