maharlika
Tagalog edit
Alternative forms edit
- mahadlica, mahad-lica, mahaglica — obsolete, Spanish-based orthography
- mahadlika, mahaglika — obsolete
- maharlica — archaic
Etymology edit
From a metathesis of Sanskrit महर्द्धिक (maharddhika, “prosperous”). Compare Kapampangan mardika, Maranao maradika' / mirdika, Tausug mahardikaꞌ, Buginese ᨆᨑᨉᨙᨀ (maradeka), Javanese ꦩꦂꦢꦶꦏ (mardika), Balinese ᬫᬃᬤᬾᬓ (mardéka), Indonesian mahardika, and Malay merdeka. The gay slang sense is due to the similarity with the word mahal, which also came from Sanskrit.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
maharliká or maharlikâ or mahárliká (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜑᜇ᜔ᜎᜒᜃ)
- (historical) freeman; a member of the feudal warrior class in ancient Tagalog society
- (obsolete) act of freeing someone
- Synonym: laya
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
See also edit
Adjective edit
maharliká or maharlikâ or mahárliká (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜑᜇ᜔ᜎᜒᜃ)
- noble; aristocratic
- Synonyms: dakila, noblesa, kagalang-galang, kamahalan
- (gay slang) expensive
- Synonyms: mahal, (gay slang) Mahalia Jackson
- (obsolete) free (from slavery)
- Synonym: malaya
- (obsolete) plebeian; common
- Synonym: karaniwan
Usage notes edit
- The word maharlika used to refer to the middle class of ancient Tagalog society. During the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan era in the Philippines, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. claimed that maharlika referred to the nobility of ancient Tagalog society. Because of this, maharlika evolved into modern use to mean “nobility” but the correct terminology for it was the maginoo class.
Related terms edit
References edit
- “maharlika”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
- Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2016) Tagalog Borrowings and Cognates, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 289
- Noceda, Fr. Juan José de, Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860) Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves[1] (in Spanish), Manila: Ramirez y Giraudier
- San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613) Juan de Silva, editor, Vocabulario de lengua tagala: El romance castellano puesto primero[2], La Noble Villa de Pila, page 389: “Libre) Maharlica (pp) de eſclauonia”