Why is 'esmiringhoy' trending and what does it mean?
If you spent the past few days on social media, you might have come across memes about "esmiringhoy."
For Internet users, "esmiringhoy" became a viral word for both its meaning and its comical sound.
Beauty queen and TV host Joy Barcoma, for one, garnered thousands of likes on Threads on Monday, Oct. 19, with her post that read: "DADDY WHAT'S ESMIRINGHOY PO."
On Facebook, numerous posts sharing the interview had just one-word captions: "Esmiringhoy," while one FB user wrote, "Closure ❌ Esmiringhoy ✅."
Another social media user expressed her joy at discovering the word: "Maghapon akong masaya dahil kay esmiringhoy."
How it started
It all started when couple Evelyn and Ronald Batuigas took their domestic fight to Raffy Tulfo in Action on Saturday, Oct. 17.
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Evelyn, who shares two children with her husband, complained about Ronald's mistress, who was apparently just one of many. When Ronald came home last September after spending almost a year abroad working in construction, Evelyn tried to woo him, but Ronald refused on "doctor's orders."
"Hindi daw siya puwedeng uminom. Hindi daw siya puwedeng mai-stress. Pinagbawal daw ng duktor," Evelyn said.
"Hindi daw siya puwedeng mag-esmiringhoy," she added.
Reaching the boiling point of their marriage, Evelyn tried again before Ronald, who is currently unemployed, supposedly left to stay at his brother's.
"'Bago tayo maghiwalay, mag-esmiringhoy muna tayo para last na lang na ano'," she recalled telling Ronald. "Ayaw niya."
What 'esmiringhoy' means
On the program, Evelyn explained "esmiringhoy" as "'yung magbembangan ba."
In Bisaya, "esmiringhoy" translates to "kiyod." In Tagalog, as Evelyn said, it means "bembang." In English, it means "sexual intercourse."
Dr. Benjamin M. Mendillo, Jr., commissioner at Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, told PhilSTAR L!fe that "esmiringhoy" is a Bisaya slang mash-up of the words "esmi," which is the street word for spouse, and "iring," or cat.
"Wala ito sa estandardisadong diksiyunaryo at 'di kabilang sa opisyal na rehistro ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino," Mendillo told L!fe.
"Esmiringhoy" is an example of how social media enriches Philippine linguistics, said Mendillo.
According to him, Republic Act No. 7104 mandates KWF to study, document, and establish standards for the national language. The internet, on the other hand, has other uses for the development of language.
"Habang ang estado ay sistematikong nagsasaliksik at nag-aayos ng wika, ang internet naman ay nabubuhay sa malayang nakababalangkas ng mga bagong salita," Mendillo said.
He added that words like "esmiringhoy" are welcome products of the rich digital community.
"Pinatutunayan lamang nito na habang pinoprotektahan ng mga institusyon ang ating pamanang wika mula sa itaas, pinalalawak naman ito ng digital na komunidad mula sa ibaba," Mendillo said.
"Sa pagpapalaganap ng mga lokal at mga ekspresyon tungo sa kulturang popular ay nagiging bahagi ito ng patuloy na pagyaman ng wika," he added.
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