The Mentality of the “Dialect” Hurdle

In another blog dedicated to Iloko localization, I wrote about the opposition to the idea that Iloko is a language. I received the following comments:

• "Iloko is not a language and will never be..."
• "Ilocano is a dialect, Philippines has only one language which is Tagalog... I should know Ilocano ako dear! [sic]…"

There are a few themes that I can point out just with the two comments:

• Socio-Linguistic Status
• The Philippines-has-only-ONE-language mentality
• Nativity equals credibility

Socio-Linguistic Status

First we need a brief revisit of the terms dialect and language.
According to the site Merriam-Webster.com, “dialect” has several definitions. But, the two that interplay are…

“…a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language”
and “…a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (as social class).”

Wikipedia, in it’s article has a section about the “dialect VS. Language” discussion and the politics of the term "dialect".

One-Language Issue Fallacy

Many Filipinos are lead to believe that there is only one language spoken in the Philippines; it is Tagalog-based Filipino. What they do not realize is that the other languages become “dialects” or “regional variations”. Because these languages are considered “dialect”, there is lack of governmental support at the national level and there is lack of incentive to promote or use them. Future generations start to refuse to speak their languages in favor of the government sanctioned language citing socio-economic reasons.
The Department of Education in the Philippines recently instituted “Mother-tongue-based Multilingual Education” or “MTB-MLE”. (I have issue with such a long abbreviation. And, the name of the program sounds rather redundant.) The goal is to teach children in their respective regional language once they start school. Only in later grades will they be taught in Filipino and/or English. I guess they finally realized how detrimental it was to ignore regional languages. Hopefully, this curbs the “dialectical” mentality that became apparent to me in the Facebook group “NATIVES OF LA UNION” and gives pride to future Iloko speakers in particular.

(I recently found out that I was banned from the group. You rock, Norma, with your power trip! More on that bullshit later. Unfortunately, because of some bitches’ power trips, I can no longer access the post. Well, it lives on here and has a broader audience now.)

Nativity Equals Credibility

Only one of the comments came forth to claim that she was a “native”. And, that because of this, she spewed out the same line: Iloko is a dialect, dearie. What of the other person who proved that he was not fluent in Iloko?! Invalid as well, I suppose.

This is a false correlation that makes my eyes roll in their sockets that I think the Earth orbits around me! It’s one of those tactics I've seen to give validity to their statement in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. You speak the language, "dearie", and you might be quite good at it, and I won’t doubt that. But, until I see some papers or some thing else that you've published, I’ll go with the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Enthologue, the “Gunglo dagiti Mannurat nga Iloko” or GUMIL (down) and my own linguistic research. The louder and more obnoxious you are doesn’t give anymore validation to your statement.
What dismays me is the fact that it was in a Facebook group “representing” those born in a province where Iloko is predominant. Even other Iloko speakers and writers have commented on the post.

“[It] just shows that many non-Tagalog languages are not aware that their languages are not dialects. And what's more annoying is that they tell you that fallacy, ‘Ilocano is a dialect. I should know. Ilocano ako dear.’”

“Years of brainwashing and conditioning ... I get annoyed whenever people from DepEd [Depart of Education] in Pampanga call Kapampangan a 'dialect' and explain that despite the implementation of MLE there is only 'one Philippine language'...”

”ania ti pammaneknekyo, apo, nga ibagayo a dialect laeng ti ilokano language? ania a language ngarud ti akin-dialect iti ilokano? nagkas-ang man ta they profess to be ilokanos ngem idadanes ken irurumenda met ti kinailokanoda by insulting and denying their own native language, uhu.”

[What proof do you have to say that the Iloko language is only a dialect? Of which language is Ilokano a dialect? It’s rather painful because they profess to be ‘Ilokanos’, but they belittle and harm their ‘Ilokano-ness’ by insulting and denying their own native language. Boo hoo.]

Sometimes being adamantly ignorant pays off despite your opinions!