TÅDDUNG NA FINO' CHAMORRO

FAHATEK

1. Easily done

2. Risky behavior

3. Prohibited act

Opening a crocodile's mouth and putting your head inside it isn't that difficult a feat. But the consequences can be a pain in the neck. Thus, laws can be enacted to make those acts illegal.

I wouldn't be surprised if fahatek originally just meant "something easily done."

Ti fahatek ma cho'gue. That's not easily done.

Fahatek ma konsige. That's easily achieved.

And later, it gained a nuance. Many things that are easily done lead to results that are hard to endure.

It isn't difficult for a woman to walk the streets advertising herself. But numerous dangers can come her way by doing so.

Tailaye na palao'an; ti ha na' fahatek i bidådå-ña. That evil woman; she doesn't consider her behavior to be risky.

Finally, a further development from this was to make these risky acts illegal.

Fahatek i mangonne' benådo på'go na mes. Catching deer is illegal this month.

Today, when very few people know the word fahatek, these ideas would be expressed using other terms, sometimes Spanish loan words.

Libiåno ma cho'gue. It's easily done. From the Spanish word liviano, meaning "light, easy."

Ti mappot ma konsige. It isn't hard to achieve. Mappot means "difficult."

Pine'lo-ña na fåsit mama'tinas salåppe'. S/he thinks making money is easy. From the Spanish word fácil, meaning "easy."

Peligro ayo i bidådå-ña. What s/he is doing is dangerous. From the Spanish word peligro, meaning "danger."

Ma pribi i mangonne' fanihi entero i sakkan. It is prohibited to catch fruit bat throughout the whole year. From the Spanish word prohibir, meaning "to forbid, prohibit."