lagim
lagím with stress marks
gloom; terror; horror
Usage Note
Lagim is a literary and poetic word for deep dread, gloom, or horror. It is more evocative and intense than ordinary fear words and appears frequently in Philippine literature, folk narratives, and descriptions of tragedy or catastrophe. It is rarely used in casual conversation.
Examples
" Puno ng lagim ang gabi. "
Natural Translation
The night is full of terror.
Literal Translation
Full of terror the night.
" Nakakatakot ang lagim. "
Natural Translation
The terror is scary.
Literal Translation
Scary the terror.
" Hindi malilimutan ng mga nakaligtas ang lagim ng bagyong tumama sa kanilang nayon noong isang taon. "
Natural Translation
The survivors will never forget the horror of the storm that struck their village last year.
Literal Translation
Not will-be-forgotten by-the [mga] survivors the horror of-the storm that struck in their village last one year.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
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