Pata

Definitions

"I know some things about reading when it comes to Filipinos. When many Filipinos read, especially the elite, they read in English, although they commonly speak an indigenous language every day. The Philippines is highly aural-oral when it comes to the indigenous language. There are, nevertheless, some comics and other literature in Tagalog for the masses. Many Filipinos do not really want to read in English, as maybe it does not attract them, so they seldom read, but instead watch television, videos, or cinema, most commonly in the indigenous language. I suspect that Roman letters do not attract some Filipinos. Tagalog is no longer written in the ancient Baybayin script, but the Unicode Standard conserves the syllabograms. Tagalog literature is not yet extensive, as is that of neighbouring Indonesia. English is like a fizzy pink soda, whilst Tagalog is like a yellow-brown cassava cake. (Some French have stated that Tagalog is more like a grey shark in the sea. But I could imagine some Italians equating Tagalog with squid ink spaghetti. Maybe Tagalog is like Spanish "jamón de pata negra," an expensive delicacy.)"

Etymology