kanto boy

English

Etymology

Originally from Japanese 官庁 (kanchō, “government office”) +‎ boy, borrowed in during WW2 according to Potet (2016), but the former eventually got replaced with Tagalog kanto (“corner, especially of two streets”).

Noun

kanto boy (plural kanto boys)

1. (Philippines, slang) An office boy.

See also

• kanto girl
• kanto lingo
• yosi boy
• takatak boy
• rugby boy
• call boy

Further reading

• Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2016) Tagalog Borrowings and Cognates, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 343

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English kanto boy, from Tagalog kanto (“corner, especially of two streets”) +‎ boy. According to Potet (2016), the former term *kanto was originally from Japanese 官庁(かんちょう) (kanchō, “government office”), borrowed in during WW2. The word was reinterpreted to mean “office corner”.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˌkanto ˈboj/ [ˌkan̪.t̪o ˈboɪ̯]
• Rhymes: -oj
• Syllabification: kan‧to boy

Noun

kanto boy (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜈ᜔ᜆᜓ ᜊᜓᜌ᜔) (vulgar, slang)

1. bum; deadbeat; loafer; idler

   Synonyms: palaboy, tambay

2. (humorous) office boy

Related terms

• kanto girl

 

Further reading

• Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2016) Tagalog Borrowings and Cognates, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 343
• Zorc, R. David, San Miguel, Rachel (1993) Tagalog Slang Dictionary, Manila: De La Salle University Press, →ISBN, page 72