Talk:Balesin Island

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Tambayan Philippines Low‑importance

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Etymology[edit]

@Hariboneagle927:

This is folk etymology. Not etymology. Name "origins" which did not come from linguistic studies, or are not attested by historical sources. They are easy to recognize because they usually try to fit modern words into the old word, often also treating the name as if it were a compound word, which is almost never the case in Filipino place names. Like saying "Manila" comes from a guy named "Manny" and a woman named "Nila" who died tragically and were buried in present day Manila.

They are always wrong and should not be included in Wikipedia articles. Even if they are included in official government websites. They don't count as a reliable academic source for etymology. If the real etymology for a place is unknown, they should simply not be mentioned. Not replaced with erroneous modern-day "folklore".-- OBSIDIAN†SOUL 03:47, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Okay thanks for the explanation.Hariboneagle927 (talk) 04:03, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Cheers. -- OBSIDIAN†SOUL 08:30, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Hariboneagle927:@Obsidian Soul: But wouldn't it be better to include it in the article? It is still valuable information and a consensus-established one even at least in that local place. If it is not true, then maybe still include it but without the "Etymology" section. It could be important for readers with questions about the name. --Likhasik (talk) 13:59, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Likhasik: Etymology is a science. Not consensus-based nor a game of "sounds like". By including folk etymology here, we are essentially promoting the spread of false information. Many of these folk etymologies are simply the result of government workers (not academics) trying to come up with some story to explain a name they can not understand anymore. So they have something to put on the LGU websites. They're not even real "folklore". They're literally modern-day inventions. I see no value in that.

Moreover, they're often actively revisionist and self-aggrandizing. Like in Zamboanga which was often touted by local governments to be from Malay jambangan, claiming it means "place of flowers" (in reality, jambangan means "pot"). A name not attested in any historical sources, nor is there any explanation as to why a settlement founded by the Subanen/Sama people would be given a Malay name. Old maps clearly show that the original name was "Samboangan", which means "mooring place" in Sinama/Subanen.

Of course, we can still include etymology sections if the sources are verifiable academically or historically. Like in Siargao (from saliargaw) or Mindanao (from Maguindanao).-- OBSIDIAN†SOUL 14:38, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Hello @Obsidian Soul: That is an interesting fact that I didn't know. May I know how do you usually obtain these information as well as to verify them individually? I am new here so I would like a helping hand. --Likhasik (talk) 14:56, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

There are sources included in the articles I mentioned. Those are examples, not personally-acquired information.-- OBSIDIAN†SOUL 15:14, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]