Ermitaño creole

Ermitaño is a unique^{[clarification needed]} language spoken by a specific group of people living in the Ermita area in Metro Manila. The language is a distinct dialect derived from the combination of Tagalog and Spanish that can be similar to that of Chavacano or Chabacano spoken in Southern Philippines which is a combination of Visayan languages and Spanish. However these languages are mutually unintelligible. A Chavacano meeting an Ermitaño and speaking in their native tongue will not understand each other.

In the late '80s and early '90s there were only two living native speakers of Ermitaño left in Manila: a grandmother and her teenage grandson. Linguistics students from the University of the Philippines have had the chance to interview and make notes of the dying language.

External links

1. Ethnologue Report 14th Edition
2. The Linguist List