HEALING, MEDICINE, AND LANGUAGE Enrico R. Azicate

HEALING, MEDICINE, AND LANGUAGE Enrico R. Azicate

The concept of the Filipino language as a technical language is not yet widely accepted by many sectors of contemporary society. To this day, the debate and controversy over language still revolve around the concept of Filipino as a national language or a language of instruction. But in many professional sectors, the myth that the English language is superior as a technical language is still accepted. According to those who object to such an idea, English possesses precision and universality of meaning-two characteristics required of a technical language. Consequently, a situation exists where English is recognized as the technical language, and Filipino as merely an ordinary one. It is like an extension of the paired models: English-intellectual language, Filipino-language of the streets; English-learned language, Filipino-ignorant language; English-high, Filipino-low, etc.

Technical language can be described as particular to a group or sector of society that has mastery or expertise in a field of knowledge. Thus, ordinary people may not know much, or may not truly know at all, the vocabulary and particular aspects of using technical language. This is not a simple matter of expanding vocabulary; it is a matter of knowing and understanding a unique world or worldview. An example of this is the scientific and mathematical language of the West. We may know some terms or words, but if we are not experts in these disciplines, we will not understand and be able to use those languages. Because Filipinos learned knowledge and disciplines from the West, and through the English language, it seems the myth was simply accepted that English is not just the only technical language, but the only universal language.

But is this the truth? Are there aspects of technical and scientific language in Filipino? Since part of the emergence of technical language is the teaching of related knowledge or worldviews, can a Filipino consciousness and culture be promoted through the use of Filipino as a technical language?

There are two paths for the language: the common language and the technical language. To properly analyze this concept, it is necessary to examine the Filipino language in an aspect of culture that already has both common and technical forms. One field that has both a common and technical nature is medicine in the Philippines. How do we introduce Filipino as a technical language in medicine?

Objectives of the Paper

This article is primarily an exploratory study on the relationship of language and the traditions/methods of healing or medicine. Our objectives are, first, to showcase the Filipino tradition of medicine; second, that medicine uses Filipino as a technical language (for practitioners) and a common language (used by ordinary people). Medicine is not static, and in the study of its changes, we can also see the changes in the use of language.

To further understand this idea, it is necessary to study the history of medicine in the Philippines, from the ancient traditions to the current scientific tradition. We want to look at the way health, illness, and healing are explained; who the practitioners are; and their relationship to society. Aside from a historical study of medicine, it is appropriate to contextualize our analysis within Filipino culture.

The change in the tradition of medicine has its own flow and character. Even if it occurs within Filipino culture, it is separate and unique. It is the "independent variable," and the language used in healing depends on the prevailing or dominant tradition of medicine. New ideas in medicine will surely emerge if we investigate changes in the words or the language itself used in healing.

The change in medicine and its related change in language is also a sign of the change in the worldview of the Filipino. The change in perspective is not equal: there is an imbalance because of geography, social class, and the level of knowledge. Our belief that science or medicine in the matter of politics or social change is "neutral" can be proven as just another myth and is not reflective of the reality of Filipino society.