kuwan
Bikol Central edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
kuwán (Basahan spelling ᜃᜓᜏᜈ᜔)
- so-and-so, whatchamacallit
- Synonym: kuyan
Tagalog edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Possibly either from the following:
- From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kuan (“to speak, talk”), or derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kua (“whatchamacallit”). Cognate with Ilocano kua, Cebuano kuan, Tausug kuwan, Karo Batak er-kuan (“to speak”), and Tontemboan kuan (“what is said or thought”).
- From Sanskrit क्व (kva, “somewhere”), according to Potet (2016).
- From a corruption of Spanish cuál (“what”), according to Panganiban (1973).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
kuwán (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜓᜏᜈ᜔)
- so-and-so, whatchamacallit (placeholder name for a person or thing)
Derived terms edit
See also edit
Further reading edit
- “kuwan”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
- Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2016) Tagalog Borrowings and Cognates, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 286
- Panganiban, José Villa (1973) Diksyunaryo-Tesauro Pilipino-Ingles, Quezon City: Manlapaz Publishing Co., page 327
- San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613) Juan de Silva, editor, Vocabulario de lengua tagala: El romance castellano puesto primero[1], La Noble Villa de Pila
- page 327: “Fulano) Covan [(pc)] bordonçillo que tienen eſtos como en eſpañol como [ſe llama], pero eſtos ncada paſo lo diçen como noſe acuerden del nombre propio, vt. [ſi covan] [ſi caſambil], ſulano caſambil.”
- page 358: “Hulano) Covan [(pc)] bordonçillo vſado entre eſtos ſiao ſe acuerdan de lo quee van a deçir, vt. covã dico naalala, como ſe diço a que nome acuerdo, ſi covan, hulano”