salitang

Salitang is a Filipino noun meaning “word” or “term.” It is the inflected form of the base word salita and is widely used in everyday language as well as in linguistic and educational contexts to talk about words, vocabulary, or categories of words.

In typical phrases, salitang is used before another noun or modifier to specify the type or category of a word. For example, salitang Filipino refers to words from the Filipino language, while salitang Ingles denotes English words. The form often appears in compounds or descriptive expressions that function as a single term in grammar and vocabulary discussions.

Several common compound terms illustrate its use. Salitang-ugat refers to a root word, a fundamental unit from which other words are derived. Salitang balbal denotes slang or street-language words. Such compounds are standard in Filipino linguistic terminology and are frequently encountered in textbooks, dictionaries, and language-conversation contexts.

Usage notes include that salitang can be used in singular or plural constructions depending on the sentence, as in mga salitang Filipino or ang salitang ito. The word serves primarily as a classifier of vocabulary items rather than as a standalone lexical item with a separate meaning beyond “word” itself.

Overall, salitang functions as a versatile connector for discussing word types, categories, and linguistic analysis within Filipino and Tagalog usage. See also salita, salitang-ugat, and salitang balbal for related terminology.