On
Ulimo

It’s International Tiger Day! An older word in Kapampángan, borrowed from Malay, that historically referred to tigers or other ferocious beasts is now a word that means “monster”, while the more common modern word for “tiger” comes from Spanish and gives its name to a poor man’s dish!


ULÍMÓ • (oo-LEE-moh)
monster, beast (historically, any ferocious animal such as a lion, tiger, or bear)
Tagálog (Filipino): halímaw


TIGRI • (ti-GRI)
tiger
Tagálog (Filipino): tígre


Etymologies
Ulímó – from Malay harimau (“tiger”)
Tigri – from Spanish tigre (“tiger”)


You may want to read:

  • Bicol Onglo
  • Lawu