THE THREE words that follow call for an additional comment:
Personifi cation of atmospheric phenomenon, as exemplified in the above mentioned Sumatran reference to the SUN as the “eye” of the day (mata-ari, etc.), is not alien to the Pampangan language. Here the RAINBOW is referred to as the “loincloth” of the king (pinan-ari). (Note: Pinan, loincloth, ari, king. In Tagalog, it is bahag-hari (bahag, loincloth; hari, king).
A similar case is the sentence with which Pampangans describe a slight shower in contrast to a heavy rain. When it is merely drizzling, the sun is said to be “just giving itself a sponge bath” (manimu ya ing aldo).
Another datum, relevant to this point, is a report of the Spaniards who first came into contact with Pampangans. A Macabebe chieftain was reported to have resisted the invading Spaniards by challenging them to a battle and swearing by the SUN: “May the sun severe my body in halves…….if I ever become a friend of the Spaniards.” (De San Agustin, ibid.: 328).
[Migkamali ku iniang sinabi kung: pinan ari ing buri na sabian keng Inglis “loincloth of the king”. Ania, bayu taya isundung babasan itang artikulung SLU-1984, bustan yung ingit ke kekayu ining sinulat kung “linguistic analysis” at kaibat na nita, ita namang sinulat nang Anthropologist Fernando N. Zialcita ning Ateneo de Manila University].
(Abatan ya ing kasuglung)
