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Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Malilong: 'Ger-ger' and SHIT
By Frank Malilong Jr.
The Other Side
A reader, who identified himself as an overseas Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia, wrote to express his displeasure on the practice of some radiomen of using the air lanes to destroy another person’s reputation. Lucio
Novabos said that radio commentators should refrain from using “non-productive” language such as “ger-ger.”
In this space last Sunday, I made fun of the word because its “inventors” said they themselves do not know what it means. I got a reprimand for my effort from a friend, who said that ger-ger means having sex and no other. She asked if I had forgotten that a former judge used the same term with a staff member and he was not asking her to take down notes.
But if Teban and Goliat were not of much use in my search for understanding of their “baby’s” meaning, they at least helped arouse my interest in etymology. I opened my Internet Explorer last Sunday afternoon, planning to seek Google’s help for my research.
When I opened my inbox, however, I saw no need to navigate further because I found what I needed. A message was forwarded by a friend and it dealt with the supposed origin of the word “shit.” Of course, we know what the words mean and that, like ger-ger, it is considered an obscenity and is not used in formal speech or polite company.
It was not, according to the anecdote, that way at the start, which was between the 16th and the 17th century. At that time, there was no commercial fertilizer yet, so farmers traded for manure, which was transported in tons by ship.
It was shipped dry because it weighed a lot less than when wet. At some point during the voyage, however, the cargo would eventually get wet from seawater, setting forth a fermentation process that produced methane gas.
Since manure was stored in the lower decks, huge amounts of methane built up, making it so volatile that when someone with a lantern went down to check on the cargo, a loud boom almost always ensued. Many ships were lost at sea this way before the shipping companies figured out what was happening.
It was then that they ordered that the bundles of manure should be stamped “Ship High In Transit” so that they would be stowed high enough beyond the reach of the seawater or, even if did, the methane would dissipate. That was how SHIT (Ship High In Transit) evolved through the centuries.
Of course, the story is a lot of manure, if you pardon the language. On the other hand, we could find some use for the word’s noble origins or at least help restore its lost respectability.
When somebody, for example, tells you to ger-ger, you can tell him to shove his Ship High In Transit off his behind. Teban and Goliat should be pleased they had kindred spirits or fellow travelers between the 16th and 17th centuries.
(fmmalilong@yahoo.com)
(The title of Frank Malilong's column yesterday should have read "Decent commentary."—Editor)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 2, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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