mga
Translingual
Bikol Central
Etymology
From Proto-Central Philippine *maŋa, from Proto-Philippine *maŋa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maŋa. The spelling is a from Spanish-era contraction of manga.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /maˈŋa/, [maˈŋa]
Hiligaynon
Etymology
From Proto-Bisayan *maŋa, from Proto-Central Philippine *maŋa, from Proto-Philippine *maŋa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maŋa. The spelling is a from Spanish-era contraction of manga.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɐˈŋa/
Tagalog
Alternative forms
- mañga, mang̃a, man͠ga, m̃ga, mg̃a, m͠ga — obsolete, Spanish-based orthography
- manga — archaic
Etymology
From earlier manga, from Proto-Central Philippine *maŋa, from Proto-Philippine *maŋa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maŋa.
The three-letter spelling originated in a now defunct Spanish language abbreviation convention of drawing a tilde over the abbreviated word, in this case manga, later rendered as mg̃a or m͠ga. The complications of typing ⟨ñ⟩, ⟨g̃⟩ or any such tilded combination using English language typewriters during the American occupation of the Philippines caused it to be dropped in writing. Compare ng.
The abbreviated form was kept to avoid possible confusion with prefix manga-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /maˈŋa/, [mɐˈŋa]
Audio (file)
Adverb
mga (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜅ)
- approximately; around; about
- Synonyms: halos, humigit-kumulang, (place, time) banda
- Alis tayo mga alas tres ng hapon.
- Let's leave around 3 pm.
- Siguro mga sampung piso lang iyong pamasahe.
- Maybe the fare is around ₱10.
Further reading
- “mga”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
- Santos, Lope K (1939) Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa (in Tagalog), →ISBN, archived from the original on 6 August 2022, page 112