I have nothing to hide: The language of Ilongot oratory

TLDR

The Ilongots of northern Philippines traditionally value a speech style called “crooked language,” rich in art, wit, and indirection, especially in oratory events. The study analyzes a brideprice meeting, describing oratory as a scheduled public event aimed at formal agreement, and identifies key features such as body motion, self‑reference labels, deferential phrasing, metalinguistic terms, and rhythmic patterns that vary throughout the event. Acculturation has caused a conflict, with educated Ilongots preferring straight speech, while the indirect crooked style remains tied to egalitarian norms and straight speech to externally imposed authoritarian relations. Topics include speech styles, social structure, public performance, discourse devices, metalinguistic concepts, speech norm conflict, social change, and Northern Luzon, Philippines (Malayo‑Polynesian).

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Ilongots of the northern Philippines traditionally value a speech style, ‘crooked language,’ rich in art, wit, and indirection, in certain situations. Purun ‘oratory’, both as event and speech style, is one of these. A brideprice meeting is recounted and examined in detail. Unique features of oratory, in contrast to everyday verbal interaction, depend on its public character, as a scheduled event with large audience (rather than special setting, personnel or ritual), and as having the purpose of achieving explicit, formal understanding and agreement. The special features of oratory include body-motion; category labels for self-reference; degree of use of deferential, self-deprecating, and qualifying phrases and terms; degree of use of metalinguistic terms generally; and rhythms. Degree of use of these features may vary in the course of the event. Acculturation has brought about conflict with the preference of newly educated and missionized Ilongots for ‘straight speech’. In effect, the indirect ‘crooked’ speech style is linked with indigenous egalitarian norms, while the public use of ‘straight speech’ is linked with externally imposed authoritarian relationships. (Speech styles and social structure; public performance everyday interaction; discourse devices; metalinguistic concepts and devices; conflict of speech norms; social change; Northern Luzon, Philippines: Malayo-Polynesian.)