santelmo
santélmo with stress marks
St. Elmo's fire
Usage Note
Santelmo refers to the weather phenomenon of St. Elmo's fire — an electrical plasma glow seen on ship masts and trees during storms — derived from the Spanish patron saint of sailors, San Telmo. In Filipino folklore, santelmo also denotes a mysterious floating fireball that wanders at night, believed to be a lost soul or an omen. The word straddles science and superstition in local culture.
Examples
" Nakakita sila ng santelmo. "
Natural Translation
They saw a fireball.
Literal Translation
Saw they of fireball.
" Nakakita sila ng santelmo. "
Natural Translation
They saw St. Elmo's fire.
Literal Translation
Saw they of St.-Elmo's-fire.
" Ayon sa mga matatanda sa baryo, ang santelmo na lumulutang sa palayan ay kaluluwa raw ng isang naligaw na manlalakbay. "
Natural Translation
According to the elders in the village, the fireball that floats over the rice field is said to be the soul of a lost traveler.
Literal Translation
According to plural elder in village, the fireball linker floating in rice-field is soul reportedly of one lost linker traveler.
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