Proto-Modern Astronomy in the Philippines

A History of Words, 10th-19th Century

Abstract

“Proto-modern astronomy” in the Philippines pertains either to an astronomical paradigm or a historical phase that mediates the “pre-modern” (i.e., indigenous Austronesian, since the 3500 BCE) and the “modern” (i.e., brought about by the Eurasian “scientific revolution,” 16^th century CE). Among the Philippine communities, the existence of proto modern astronomy implies linguistic contact and socio-cultural interaction with Sanskrit, Arabic, and Malay speakers. Moreover, it shows the Philippine reception of foreign astronomical knowledge and practices before the advent of Euro-American colonialism.

To isolate the proto-modern elements, a discussion on pre-modern Austronesian astronomy is provided. Basic astronomical words can be reconstructed into the following protoforms: PAn *laŋiC ‘sky, heaven,’ PAn *qajaw ‘day, sun,’ PMP *qalejaw ‘day, sun,’ PAn *bulaN ‘moon,’ PAn *bituqen ‘star,’ PMP *talaq₁ ‘star,’ PPh *bulalákaw₂ ‘meteor, shooting star,’ PPh *dúlis ‘meteor, shooting star,’ and PPh *dúlit ‘meteor, shooting star.’ By identifying the foundational elements, we can now recognize the latter additions, marked by Sanskrit-Arabic influences through Malay. These additions appear in the form of words for ‘astral science/scientist,’ ‘heaven/hell,’ ‘deity/spirit,’ ‘eclipse,’ ‘Milky Way,’ ‘comet,’ ‘fixed star,’ and ‘planet,’ as well as cosmological, mathematical, and astrological ideas and practices. The period of the study begins in the 10^th century CE, the time of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, which contains the important word jyotisha ‘astral science; astrologer’ and ends in the 19^th century, when the Spanish intrusion of the Pulangi Valley, mainly through the Jesuit missionaries, led to the documentation of Maguindanaon, whose astronomical loanwords were clearly from Sanskrit-Malay and Arabic-Malay.