sanib
saníb with stress marks
joined together; spirit possession
Usage Note
Sanib has two connected senses: a literal sense of joining or merging (as in a merger of organizations or union of parts), and a spiritual sense of possession — when a spirit or deity enters and joins with a person's body. The spiritual sense is prominent in folk belief and indigenous religious practice, where spirit mediums may be said to be sinanibian (possessed). Both senses share the core idea of two entities becoming one.
Examples
" May sanib daw ang bahay. "
Natural Translation
They say the house has a spirit in it.
Literal Translation
There-is spirit-possession reportedly the house.
" May sanib ang bata. "
Natural Translation
The child has spirit possession.
Literal Translation
There-is spirit-possession the child.
" Naniniwala ang mga matatanda sa nayon na may sanib ang babae, kaya tinawag nila ang albularyo upang itaboy ang espiritu. "
Natural Translation
The elders in the village believed the woman was possessed by a spirit, so they called the folk healer to drive the spirit away.
Literal Translation
Believe the elders in village that there-is spirit-possession the woman, so called they the folk-healer so-that drive-away the spirit.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
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