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The Origin of the Chavacano Dialect
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Chavacano is the main major dialect spoken in Zamboanga City. A
creole with
predominantly Spanish vocabulary and a mixture of some Philippine
dialects. called Chavacano de Zamboanga. The dialect is used in primary education, newspapers and radio
programs alongside the English Language, which is still the main medium
of instruction. |
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The Jesuits and the Castillan ( Spanish) soldiers would greatly
influence the evolution of the Chavacano dialect as we know it
today. Along
with the Cebuanos , the Jesuit priests were entrusted for
the religious conversion of the natives in Zamboanga and provide religious guidance to the Spanish
troops and their Cebuano counterparts. Historical accounts also revealed that the Jesuits went with
the troops to battle and also acted as translators between the
Spanish soldiers and the Visayan warriors. The most recent common
dialect they had experience with was the Visayan Chavacano, and it would be
the
logical choice as a precursor to the creation of the Chavacano
de Zamboanga. Eventually, after laying the groundwork for the type of
communication they will use with their new subjects in Zamboanga, the Jesuits would subsequently
teach everyone else
how to communicate with each other in the best logical way they can
devise , which is the Chavacano.
The Spanish soldiers, as
conquerors, their aristocratic and superior tendencies will
place them in charge of the mission and will influence the
Chavacano to be heavily based on ancient Castilian Spanish, as the case is
today. Their position in the Zamboanga hierarchy will dictate that
the indios ( locals) learn more of their dominant Spanish language in order
to understand them, and not the other way around. It would only be
logical to have it that way. The Jesuit priests who were in
constant touch with the natives, would play an important role in the
creation of the Chavacano dialect.
Based on this historical accounts, it is logical to conclude that
Chavacano was spoken in the Visayas as well as in Luzon . We must
remember that it was the Cebuanos who accompanied the Spaniards in their
fight against the Moro pirates in Zamboanga . The best
evidence of this is the Chavacano speaking people in some parts of
Cavite in our present day. However, in the Visayas, it would be
interesting to note that the Chavacano is no
longer spoken and has gone extinct. Why this is so is still a puzzle.
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