Intsik beho, tulo laway

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• Intsik viejo, tulo laway

Etymology

Literally, “old and decrepit Chinese, drooling saliva”, said without verbal conjugation to imitate a stereotypical Chinese accent in Tagalog. Seen as a childhood rhyme, this expression probably originated in the late 1800s during the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines, when opium dens were common and many Chinese immigrants would be left decrepit and drooling saliva from opium. Compare Cebuano Insik wakang, kaon, kalibang.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔinˌt͡ʃik ˌbeho | ˌtuloʔ ˈlawaj/ [ʔɪn̪ˌt͡ʃik ˌbɛː.ho | ˌt̪uː.loʔ ˈlaː.waɪ̯]
  • IPA^(key): (with glottal stop elision) /ʔinˌt͡ʃik ˌbeho | ˌtulo(ʔ) ˈlawaj/ [ʔɪn̪ˌt͡ʃik ˌbɛː.ho | ˌt̪uː.loː ˈlaː.waɪ̯], (with glottal stop elision, no yod coalescence) /ʔinˌtsik ˌbeho | ˌtulo(ʔ) ˈlawaj/ [ʔɪn̪ˌt͡sik ˌbɛː.ho | ˌt̪uː.loː ˈlaː.waɪ̯]
• Rhymes: -awaj
• Syllabification: In‧tsik be‧ho, tu‧lo la‧way

Phrase

Intsík beho, tulò laway (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜈ᜔ᜆ᜔ᜐᜒᜃ᜔ ᜊᜒᜑᜓ ᜵ ᜆᜓᜎᜓ ᜎᜏᜌ᜔) (slang, offensive, archaic)

1. taunt used to insult a Chinese person

Derived terms

• Intsik beho

Related terms

• Intsik batutay, tulo-tulo laway