PAGBUBUSKALA

This is an often-searched term on our website, but this word does not exist in standard Tagalog dictionaries.

Students encounter it in the phrase “ang pagbubuskala sa pagkakakilanlan” as part of a translation by Mary Grace A. Tabora of the African “Song of a Mother to her Firstborn” based on an English translation by Jack H. Driberg.

Looking at the context, the proper word could be pagbubungkal (“digging”).

It could also be a coined word based on the Spanish buscar, which means to find or look for. In this case, the Tagalog translation would be paghahanap.

TABORA’S TRANSLATION

Munting mandirigma
Paano ka namin pangangalanan?
Masdan ang pagbubuskala sa pagkakakilanlan.
Hindi hamak na ngalan sa iyo’y ibibigay.

DRIBERG’S TRANSLATION

And how shall we name you?
See, let us play at naming.
It will not be a name of despisal,
for you are my first-born.

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Possible spelling variations: buskalo, buskala, pagbuskala

If you have any thoughts about the word pagbubuskala, please leave a note in the comments section below.