Many have confused the terms Pangasinan, Pagasinense and “Pangalatok”
People of Pangasinan are called Pangasinenses regardless of the language or dialect they speak. The main language is Pangasinan which primarily spoken in central area that includes the cities of Dagupan and SanCarlos, and big towns like Lingayen (the capital) Mangaldan, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Binmaley, Malasiqui & Bayambang. Iloko is also widely spoken primarily in eastern part that includes Urdaneta City, Tayug, Binalonan, Umingan, etch and the western area that includes Alaminos City, Mabini, Infanta, Bolinao, Anda, Bani, etc.. Some people in the western part of the province also wide speak Bolinao. Others speak Kapampangan, Zambal, Bisaya, Ibaloi, Kankanaey, etc. But majority of Pangsinenses speak both Pangasinan and Iloko.
The term “Pangalatok” is insulting and derogatory. So too is “Ilokogtot”.
Hereunder is what I wrote in a comment regarding a discussion of this issue in the Pangasinan Page in Facebook on March 15, 2009, as follows:
“Saray totoo ya manaayam ed Pangasinan, sikara so Pangasinense anggan antoy salita ra: Pangasinan, Iloko, Bolinao, Zambal, Kapampangan, Bisaya, Ibaloi, Kan-kaney tanaromni. Aman so "Pangalatok" et "deragatory" tan "insulting". Nalapo tan ya termino nen saman nen mangkokolkol iray Ilokano tan Pangasinense lapor ag natalusan na saray Ilocano so salitan Pangasinan.
Say intawag da ed saray Pangasinenese ya mansalitay Pangasinan et "Kasla kayo nga agtogkik nga manok no agsasao" (You are like chicken with a bad flu when talking)= Pangasinan +kasla+ togkik +manok= Panga-la-tok!"
Say imbales na saray Pangasinense ed saray Ilokano met et: "Sicayo ya Ilokano agyo amtay mampuniti no milaban, kapara kayoy asilok ya otot, mangkogtokogtot" (Ilocanos don't know how to box; they jump like frightened rats)= Ilokano +kogtot + otot = Ilokogtot!"
Both words are insulting and derogatory. Sikato komon no narengel yo may salita ya "Pangalatok", please correct it at once.”
In summation: “Pangasinan” is the name of the province and also the primary language of the province; “Pangasinense/s” is/are the people of Pangasinan regardless of language they speak; and “Pangalatok” is derogatory and insulting word.
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