Benguet, located in the Northern Philippines, has five ethnolinguistic groups: Ibaloy, Iowak, Karao, Kankana-ey, and Kalanguya. They are among the many still existing ethnolinguistic groups in the country able to maintain a... [ view full abstract ]
Benguet, located in the Northern Philippines, has five ethnolinguistic groups: Ibaloy, Iowak, Karao, Kankana-ey, and Kalanguya. They are among the many still existing ethnolinguistic groups in the country able to maintain a majority of their traditions/rituals. Two of these rituals maintained are kail (second burial) and the bone-cleaning practice that immediately follows. "Kail" is the Ibaloy term but the other ethnolinguistic groups use other lexicons. Both practices are performed when a deceased/ancestor needs clothing, blanket, or other material things for the afterlife. In some instances, kail is performed when the ancestor/deceased communicates through dreams the dissatisfaction with the current burial location/condition. The relatives who interpret these dreams exhume the remains of the deceased/ancestor, clean the bones, and bury the dead in another place.
This paper utilized anthropological linguistics (language and culture) and lexicography (simple word listing) to compare the lexicons and worldview. The data were synchronic since they were collected from four specific Benguet communities (2014 to 2017). Ten community elders were interviewed. The researcher was a participant observer who attended the actual rituals and strictly followed ethical standards of interview, observation, and documentation.
For easy comparison, the other lexicons used to describe the kail were listed and defined for each ethnolinguistic group. As a result, this study found that kail and its bone-cleaning practice were performed by the ethnolingusitic groups because of the peoples’ unwavering respect and deference for their ancestors/deceased family members.
