News-relevant words among ‘Salita ng Taon 2018’ entries

MANILA, Philippines — One out of 11 words – most of which made their way to the headlines this year – will be hailed as the “Salita ng Taon” or the Filipino word of the year 2018.

Among the words competing for the title are Dengvaxia, DDS, dilawan, fake news, federalismo, foodie, quo warranto, resibo, tokhang, TRAIN and troll.

These words entered the list for being “coined or used as a new word; recently adapted from an ethnic or foreign language; old but has gained a new meaning; and revived from obsolescence,” according to a release from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Select presenters will tackle why the words should be declared as the Filipino word of the year. Among the presenters for this year are freelance translator Xavier Roel Alvaran; writer Mark Angeles; UP professors Danilo Arao, Schedar Jocson and Zarina Joy Santos-Eliserio; Roy Rene Cagalingan of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF); celebrity chef Myhkel “Tatung” Sarthou; Ateneo de Manila University lecturers Junilo Espiritu and lawyer Aileen Sicat; and co-presentors Ralth Fonte, Ari Santiago, Jonathan Geronimo and John Robert Bautista.

Representatives from UP Diliman, KWF and the Filipinas Institute of Translation will judge the words based on the presentations.

The “Salita ng Taon 2018” will be awarded during the “Sawikaan 2018: Pambansang Kumperensiya sa Salita ng Taon” on Friday at the UP Diliman’s Institute of Biology Auditorium.