WEIRD: The meaning of the word 'SALVAGE' in the Philippines..
By vesuvius
@vesuvius (1677)
Philippines
April 4, 2007 10:09am CST
According to the Encarta Dictionary, the meaning of the word 'salvage' is 'to rescue something from a bad situation'. But dont you know that in the Philippines, it's the OTHER WAY AROUND???
In the Philippines, the word 'salvage' means 'to murder an individual'. Odd huh?? Even I thought that fact was weird..
When TV reporters and tabloid writers say their headlines containing this word, it would mean something negative...
I dont really know how this happened but I think it's really funny...
This is once again an occurrence which happens: ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES..
Do you know the exact reason why this happened???
3 people like this
11 responses
@peaches20 (147)
• Philippines
4 Apr 07
yeah according to meriam webster salvage means to rescue or save especially in wreckage or ruin. All along I thought salvage means that someone was murdered like most of the reporters say "na may nasalvage" that refers to a murdered person. I don't understand why reporters refer the murdered victims as salvaged but I understand why Filipino think that salvage is a negative word. An example is "xerox machine and pentel pen" We are so used with this brand or product that we automatically think that pentel pen and xerox are actually seen in a dictionary.
1 person likes this
@zelle_gatoc (496)
• Philippines
4 Apr 07
In my journalism class, I've learned about these words used in Philippine context. No one can be sure about how the meaning of these words evolved in the country but it's also possible that when first-language speakers refer to "salvage the victims" as "saving" the victimes, we second-language speakers think of "salvage victims" in a peculiar context.
Another word worth mentioning is "gimmick" normally defined as a device employed to deceive or cheat. While many of us still adhere to that meaning, many others use the term when referring to hang-outs.
@whacks (774)
• Philippines
12 Apr 07
Before, the meaning of salvage is to get or save whatever could be saved especially from sunken ships but now salvage means to kill so better be careful if you hear someone saying salvage:)
@ronreyes (4724)
• Philippines
6 Apr 07
Hey thanks for this info! I learned something new today! WEEEE! Hehe!
It sure is odd. Well, you know, most Filipinos really are negative thinkers. That's why this country have so many problems.
- Ron Reyes
www.ronreyes.co.nr
@ozzydee70 (465)
• Germany
11 Apr 07
you gave me a sore head there lol i really dont know why some of news reporter are using that term there and it should not be on headlines. i guess people nowadays should look first in the dictionary before they use the new words they hear..
@vesuvius (1677)
• Philippines
12 Apr 07
I guess many reporters actually do know the correct meaning of the word 'salvage' as per the English language, however, since the Pinoy direct usage of the word relates to murder, that's what they use it that way too - reporters just want to deliver their news in such a way that all listeners could directly understand...
@mapua7782 (2)
•
14 Mar 08
not only the word "salvage" was misconstrued by the Filipinos but also the phrase " just for a while" w/c means for Filipinos as it will take a litle time. "just for a while" actualy meant that you would take longer period of time. the correct phrase would be "just for a moment or just a minute" if one would meant a litle time.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
4 Apr 07
It is not unusual for English words to change in meaning to the opposite there are other examples
all the best urban
@wrangel15 (1443)
• Philippines
24 Nov 10
Linguists speculate that it came from the Filipino word "salbahe" which was derived from the Spanish word "salvaje". Both words mean something that ranges from mischievous to abusive.
@joyangz32 (322)
• Netherlands
14 Mar 08
Thanks! I don't know the real meaning of salvage. I thought same like other filipino. It's stupid that some people accepted the meaning of a word from what they heard without looking at the dictionary. Well, no interest and it's not important at a moment. It's a positive word became negative. I don't know how did it happened.
Thanks again, now I know.
@franciscuss (1)
• Philippines
10 Oct 12
during the martial law period in the Philippines, extrajudicial or summary killings of criminals and dissenters were rampant. the common method of disposing the bodies was to thrown them into the river. of course, the bodies eventually float and later fished out or "salvaged" from the river.
the media, especially the radio reporters, eventually got the habit of linking "salvage/salvaging" to murder.
another explanation is that Filipinos mistook salvage for "salvaje" which is spanish for a bad person or act. as you all know, the Philippines was colonized by the Spanish for more than 300 years.
