The God Culture: 100 Lies About the Philippines: #38: Tagalog is Derived from Hebrew

Welcome back to 100 lies The God Culture teaches about the Philippines. Today's lie concerns Timothy Jay Schwab's claim that Filipino, especially Tagalog, is derived from Hebrew. As we shall this is just another lie.

We are going to look at Tim's justification for looking for Hebrew words not his linguistics. Tim has two sources he uses to justify his search for Hebrew words in Tagalog. In his video series he says the following:

Solomon's Gold Series - Part 7: Track of the Hebrew to the Philippines. Ophir, Sheba, Tarshish

28:57 Another point raised by Padre Chirino where he even said that it, the Tagalog language,  has the mystery and obscurities of the Hebrew language. So, he even believed that there were similarities between Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, and Hebrew. Steven Levinsohn, a linguist, wrote "At the end of the workshop one mother tongue translator remarked that had he known of the parallels between Philippine languages and Biblical Hebrew he would have found the learning of the latter, Hebrew, much easier. His remark led me to raise the matter with a couple of Seminary professors who teach Hebrew in Manila." Are these professors ignoring all this evidence? 

God Culture Conference with Lisa George & Tim Schwab

37:03 Now we have, uh, videos and in our book we have a whole chapter, uh, where we found, uh, at least I think in our research, at least 500 words that are Tagalog or similar, uh languages in the Philippines. But you look at it and it, it looks to be Hebrew in origin. Uh, when the Spanish came here some of the linguists that came said exactly that. Like Padre Chirino. He said, uh, that the Tagalg language has the Mysteries and obscurities of the Hebrew language because it it looks like Hebrew. Uh, a modern translator came to the Philippines to conduct a conference and he said had he known that Tagalog had such, uh, similarities to the Hebrew language, uh, he would have uh expressed that from the beginning, uh, so that professors would know to teach it, uh, in that regard with that as a foundation because when you connect the two languages you start to realize, uh, it's actually very easy for a Tagalog speaker to pick up Hebrew because they have you know, uh, several words in their language that are already uh of Hebrew origin very likely.

Tim's claim is that Padre Chirino and Stephen Levinsohn said there were similarities between Hebrew and Tagalog because they share similar words. Some Taglog words are Hebrew in origin! That is a blatant lie. Neither of those men said such a thing. 

Let's look at Padre Chirino first. Tim's source for Chirino is not Chirino but a historian named Dr. D.P. Barrows. 

The Search For King Solomon's Treasure Sourcebook, pg. 166

This is more of Tim's bad research. Rather than look at what Padre Chirino actually wrote he is content to cite a secondary source. And he does not even give the full citation where Chirino says there are similarities with Tagalog in Greek, Latin, and Spanish as well as Hebrew. These similarities are not because they share words but are due to the similarities in the structure of each language. 

Padre Chrino's full comments on the languages of the Philippines can be found in The Philippine Islands volume 12, page 235. They are reprinted here in full.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=miun.afk2830.0001.012&seq=239&q1=hebrew

There is no single or general language of the Filipinas extending throughout the islands; but all of them, though there are many and different tongues, are so much alike that they may be learned and spoken in a short time. Consequently if one is learned, all are almost known. They are to each other like the Tuscan, Lombard, and Sicilian dialects of Italia, or the Castilian, Portuguese, and Galician in Espafia. Only the language of the Negrillos is very different from the rest, as, in Espafia, is the Vizcayan [i.e., Basque]. There is not a different language for each of the islands, because some of them - as, for example, Manila, and even Panai, which is more than four hundred leguas smaller - contain several languages; and there are languages each of which prevails in several islands. In the island of Manila alone, there are six different tongues; in Panai, two; in some others, but one. The languages most used, and most widely spread, are the Tagal and the Bisayan; and in some regions of the Pintados another tongue is also prevalent, called Harayan. The Tagal embraces the greater part of the coast and interior of the islands of Manila, Mindoro, Luban, and some others. Bisaya is in use through all the islands of the Pintados, although in some of the villages therein the Harayan is spoken. Of all these languages, it was the Tagal which most pleased me and which I most admired. As I told the first bishop, and, afterwards, other persons of dignity in the islands and in Europe, I found in this language four qualities of the four greatest languages of the world, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Spanish: it has the abstruseness and obscurity of the Hebrew; the articles and distinctions in proper as well as in common nouns, of the Greek; the fulness and elegance of the Latin; and the refinement, polish, and courtesy of the Spanish. Examples of all these characteristics may be seen in the " Ave Maria" done into Tagal; and, as that is a short prayer, and more easily understood than the others, I will place it here with its explanation in our vernacular, and with word-forword equivalents. In this way may be seen the idioms and characteristic expressions of this language which will please some readers, and furnish information, both useful and curious.

The "Ave Maria" in the Tagal language 

Aba Guinoo Maria matoa ca na. 

Hail Lady Mary, joyful thou now, 

Napono ca nan gracia, 

full thou of grace; 

An Panguinoon Dios na saio. 

the Lord God is with thee 

Bucor can pinagpala sa babain lahat. 

especially, thou blessed among women all. 

Pinagpalat naman ang iong anac si Jesus. 

Blessed also he thy son Jesus. 

Santa Maria ina nang Dios 

Holy Mary, mother of God, 

Ipana languin mo cami macasalanan 

Let us be interceded for by thee, us sinners 

igayon at cum mamatai cami. 

Amen, Jesus. now and when shall die we. 

The first word of this prayer ABA, is obscure, but apparently has the force of " salute," like the Latin Ave. Bucor expresses diversity, distinction, and singularity. The article is Si (Jesus), as TON in Greek. The richness of the language lies in its many synonyms and phrases; consequently this prayer, which, as it stands, is very elegant, could be formed with equal elegance in various other ways, without losing its original sense and meaning. The polish and courtesy consist in not saying, as in Latin, Ave Maria (which would seem in this language abrupt and barbaric), without adding that polite word, Guinoo. 

There is none or very little of this courtesy in the other two languages of the Bissayas, which are more rude and unpolished. I thought it good to present the same prayer in these languages, not only as a curiosity, but to give an idea of their similarity and differences-giving notice, however, that it is not my intention to offer an interpretation (which is unnecessary, since we all know the " Ave Maria "), but, as I said, to show the idioms of these languages. These idioms, moreover, ought not to displease or appear ignoble, for every tongue has its own beauty and elegance for those who are born in it, which the eyes of foreigners cannot discern. This point has been discussed by Jesus Sidrac in the prologue to his Ecclesiasticus, a holy and Catholic work; and it was proved at length, and with great erudition, by the most glorious doctor St. Jerome, in the hundred and first Epistle to Pamaquio. 

The "Ave Maria " in the Harayan tongue 

Maliag cao Maria nabota cao can gracia 

Rejoice thou Mary, full thou of grace. 

An atun guinoon Dios dian canimo. 

He our Lord God is with thee, 

Capin icao sa mafga babai nga tanan, 

fortunate thou among women all; 

ig capin naman ang imon bata nga si Jesus. 

and fortunate also he thy son Jesus. 

Santa Maria inang can Dios 

[Holy Mary], mother of God, 

igampo mo cami nga macasasala 

let us be favored by thee, us the sinners, 

caraon, ig cum mamatai cami. 

now and when shall die we. Amen, Jesus. 

The " Ave Maria " in the Bissayan tongue 

Maghimaya ca Maria napon ca sa gracia 

Rejoice, thou Mary, full of grace 

An guinoon Dios anaa can 

the Lord God is with thee 

Guirayeg ca uyamot sa babihun tana 

Exalted thou much among women all, 

ug guirayeg man an imon sanc Jesus 

and exalted also he thy son Jesus 

Santa Maria inahan sa Dios, 

Holy Mary, mother of God,  

iguiampo mo cami macasasala oñia 

let us be interceded for by thee, us sinners, now 

ug sa amun camatai. Amen, Jesus. 

and in our death. 

It has been my object in giving this slight illustration of the difference between these three languages aside from its singularity and novelty, which may furnish some pleasure - to make evident the ease and clearness of the languages and their words and pronunciations, which render them very easy, or at least not difficult to learn. Some of their idioms and transpositions, which are different from our own, must be accepted as they stand, as Father Joseph de Acosta says very well when writing on this matter, (De procur. sal. lib. 4, cap. 9.); but if they are once acquired, and one is accustomed to the sound of them, they do not render the language difficult, but rather make it easy and graceful. But since I have mentioned the courtesy and politeness of the Tagalos, and of their tongue, it will be well, before proceeding further, to speak more at length concerning it, for it is so noble and pleasing a moral virtue. Of the civilities, terms of courtesy, and good breeding among the Filipinos.

Chirino does not simply wax eloquent about Tagalog but compares translations of the Ave Maria in Taglog, Harayan, and Bisayan, showing the differences between all three languages. He calls the latter two languages "rude and unpolished." There is absolutely nothing here about Tagalog sharing Hebrew words or being derived from Hebrew. 

The same can be said for Stephen Levinsohn who also notes similarities between Taglog and Hebrew. 

The Search For King Solomon's Treasure Sourcebook, pg. 167

The similarities between Tagalog and Hebrew have to do with the construction of the language. Namely, the Verb/Subject/Object order. 

https://scholars.sil.org/sites/scholars/files/stephen_h_levinsohn/papers/contextualisedhebrewteaching.pdf

 

Here we see there are similarities between Tagalog, Hebrew, Greek, and Mexican. Is Taglog derived from Mexican or Koiné Greek? English and Chinese also have a similar Subject/Verb/Object ordering. Is English derived from Chinese? Obviously not. 

Levinsohn's point is that Taglog and Hebrew share a similar construction not that they share words or a common origin. 

Now, it is true Tim has not said the exact phrase, "Tagalog is derived from Hebrew" but that is his contention. He has a whole section in his book the Search for King Solomon's Treasure where he pretends to find residual Hebrew words in Tagalog and other Filipino languages. None of them make any sense. His method is to throw so much at the reader that they are overwhelmed. 

The Search of King Solomon's Treasure, pg. 176

As the map opposite illustrates, there is aptitude for Hebrew all over the Philippines. The list is far larger and we could publish an entire book just on the Hebrew influences in Tagalog and other Philippine languages We are not requesting the reader agree with every one of these references and interpretations but there are far too many that are direct letter for letter calibrations that one simply cannot ignore especially in lieu of the overwhelming evidence this research has already achieved. Our point is to continue to go deeper and inundate critics with too much corroboration to even consider an alternative opinion. 

Tim thinks he can throw a bunch of nonsense at people to overwhelm them so much that they can consider no alternative opinion to his claim Tagalog is derived from Hebrew. That is not how an honest researcher works. Why does he say the reader does not have to agree with him if he is telling the truth? That is the hallmark of a charlatan and a liar. 

However, if one looks closer at Tim's sources it is quite apparent that Taglog and other Filipino languages do not derive from Hebrew. That is simply one more lie about the Philippines being taught by Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture.