The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER LXIII 299
Indian: The Spanish designation for the Christianized Malay of the Philippines was indio (Indian), a term used
rather contemptuously, the name Filipino being generally applied in a restricted sense to the children of
Spaniards born in the Islands.
kaingin: A woodland clearing made by burning off the trees and underbrush, for planting upland rice or
camotes.
kalan: The small, portable, open, clay fireplace commonly used in cooking.
kalao: The Philippine hornbill. As in all Malay countries, this bird is the object of curious superstitions. Its
raucous cry, which may be faintly characterized as hideous, is said to mark the hours and, in the night-time, to
presage death or other disaster.
kalikut: A short section of bamboo in which the buyo is mixed; a primitive betel-box.
kamagon: A tree of the ebony family, from which fine cabinet-wood is obtained. Its fruit is the mabolo, or
date-plum.
kasamá: Tenants on the land of another, to whom they render payment in produce or by certain specified
services.
kogon: A tall, rank grass used for thatch.
kris: A Moro dagger or short sword with a serpentine blade.
kundíman: A native song.
kupang: A large tree of the Mimosa family.
kuriput: Miser, "skinflint."
lanson: The langsa, a delicious cream-colored fruit about the size of a plum. In the Philippines, its special
habitat is the country around the Lake of Bay.
liam-pó: A Chinese game of chance (?).
lomboy: The jambolana, a small, blue fruit with a large stone.
Malacañang: The palace of the Captain-General in Manila: from the vernacular name of the place where it
stands, "fishermen's resort."
mankukúlan: An evil spirit causing sickness and other misfortunes, and a person possessed of such a demon.
morisqueta: Rice boiled without salt until dry, the staple food of the Filipinos.
Moro: Mohammedan Malay of southern Mindanao and Sulu.
mutya: Some object with talismanic properties, "rabbit's foot."
nakú: A Tagalog exclamation of surprise, wonder, etc.
nipa: Swamp-palm, with the imbricated leaves of which the roots and sides of the common Filipino houses