kanto girl

English

Etymology

From kanto boy, but the latter term was replaced with girl as a female equivalent, whereas the former term was originally from Japanese 官庁(かんちょう) (kanchō, “government office”), borrowed in the Philippines during WW2 according to Potet (2016), but it was eventually replaced with Tagalog kanto (“corner, especially of two streets”), which was reinterpreted to refer to an "office corner".

Noun

kanto girl (plural kanto girls)

1. (Philippines, slang) An office girl.

See also

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

Further reading

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

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English kanto girl, from Tagalog kanto (“corner, especially of two streets”) +‎ girl. 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 ˈɡeɾl/ [ˌkaːn.to ˈɡɛɹl]
• Rhymes: -eɾl
• Syllabification: kan‧to girl

Noun

kanto girl (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜈ᜔ᜆᜓ ᜄᜒᜇ᜔ᜎ᜔) (vulgar, slang)

1. female bum; deadbeat; loafer; idler

   Synonyms: palaboy, tambay

2. (humorous) office girl

Related terms

• kanto boy

 

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