HOW CONYO ARE YOU?
Conyo. OMG! OH MY GOSH! You’re so conyo naman! You’re so arte. Speak full English kaya. I don’t understand naman what you’re saying.
There seems to be no university in the Philippines where we can not find conyo students. Conyo is a term used to classify students or people who speak in an irritating tone with poor vocabulary and diction. The youth today are very familiar to this speaking. Even with the errors and its negativity look on other people, it is however accepted by all.
This kind of language is one of the newest trends nowadays, and we, as teenagers use this kind of language in our own way. As a matter of fact, conyo is now a laughable matter driven by the youth. Students talk conyo in a funny way for entertainment or simply just for communicating.
Conyo or “coño talk” is a mixture of Filipino and English language or what we now call “Taglish.” It is a mix of predominantly Spanish and English with Tagalog. Conyo or “coño talk” came to light from the impact of the Spanish and American colonization. Because of the consistent influences from other countries’ invasion, communication with different races with different cultures, a word or phrase could be easily changed or be influenced by another dialect. That’s how effortless it is for words to be influenced to change.
In the Philippines, there are many university students that can be identified as conyos or “coños.” Although, there are still differences and certain specification on how one person or student can be considered conyo or “coño.” It is unavoidable to determine the differences of other members from another member. There are the rich ones, social climbers, intellectual, extroverts and also other people who simply uses the language just to mock other people for their own entertainment.
Sometimes people do in a conyo way intentionally. Mainly, because this matter has become some kind of amusement to many people, especially the young students in this generation. From the young generation, some adult people do mock other people as their own kind of entertainment. You can find conyos on the street and roads. Even “tambays” are familiar to this kind of language.
Media influence is also accountable to the amount of impact of conyo to the public viewers. There are many television shows on air that do not have a strict one-language speaking show. Therefore, most of the television shows aired are “Taglish” and “conyo” as well. Television personalities have a great effect on its audiences, especially to the youth.
The Philippines have been connected with the United States ever since the colonisation. This has lasted for many years, wherein many of our cultures have been altered and influenced from their own cultures. That’s one of the reasons why we have adapted their way of communication as well. With the connection and bond we had with the Americans, it’s inevitable for Filipinos to have an inclination towards what Americans have. From the start of their colonisation, stories have been said that their approach to us Filipinos was inferior. They treated us Filipino in a manner wherein they would try to trade goods with us in exchange of just chocolates from them. This simply shows how Americans think little of us.
And yet, Filipinos still has this uncanny admiration towards the Americans. Their cultures, their traditions, their way of clothing, food and most especially, their way of communication. Their language have made a huge impact to us Filipinos, that we ourselves still idolise and worship the Americans. This is something I can not fully understand with the way Filipinos think. “The American Dream” as they say, traveling and living the United States for the luxury and the so-called dream of all. Why is that? I sincerely don’t know. You see I’m the type of Filipino who is in love with my own country. May there be many obstructions towards the better of our country. May our country be completely different from the United States, but I love the Philippines just the way it is.
Filipinos living the so-called dream often say that they don’t regret leaving their country. What makes it even worse for me is that some Filipinos even deny their own nationality. I have heard so much stories about this from my relatives and I really don’t know how to react to some of them. It’s even funny how some Filipinos try so hard. I heard this one story from my aunt who’s works at a travel agency. She was calling out all the clients to redeem their tickets. She had a hard time calling out one male Filipino with a “Jorge De Jesus,” she had to repeat his name more than five times. When he finally came in, he stated that his name was pronounced as “George De Jesus” with the same pronunciation as Jesus Christ.
After hearing that story, I thought to myself that maybe we Filipinos are just truly dazed by the American that we try to become a part of it in some way. That’s why we adapt to the language and the accent they have.
Another mindset of Filipinos is that the language English should only be at its originated countries. That we are all expected to speak the language from where came from and what we all recognise to be our first language. That Indians are to speak only their language:, Why is that? Many of us don't realise that the English is the universal language of the world. May we be from different countries speaking different dialects, but we also have to know the language English.
Many of us here in the Philippines, especially this generation of the youth are very conscious in speaking the language English. I, for one have experienced this when I studied elementary in the United Arab Emirates. Arabic was their first language. Though, English was still recognise as the universal language, so I was fixed to learn English in order to communicate. Although, I would not consider my language to be conyo at that time. I think I started to talk differently when I got transferred from a Filipino school to an international school during high-school.
Based on the Urban Dictionary, “conyos” are air headed nouveau rick kids who come from a generation of linguistic mongrel and thus their lack of proficiency in both languages, English and Tagalog. They mix two languages and think that “make + tagalog verb” (Examples: Make kain, make lute, make kulit, etc.) is an accepted actual grammatical form. Conyos love to brag about their new gadgets and think that anyone who does not have a camera-phone must be really pathetic.
I have encountered many conyo students and I actually have friends who are conyo themselves. But still, it does not hinder me from giving my opinion towards them. I think there are some times in my life when I think I may be conyo in some way. But I guess, that depends on the person I’m talking with.
My point is, we as Filipinos should still know how to love the universal language. And we, should not only use our national language just for the sake of communicating but speaking each word with love and respect. That is what will make us different from the other nationalities. Speak with pride.
