From Pantheon to "pantiyon"

Pepe Alas

Nov 1

^{The Pantheon, Rome, Italy (Wikimedia Commons).}

Filipinos in far-flung towns and barrios oftentimes refer to tombstones as panteón*. I first heard the word from my paternal grandmother as a child. I was already steeped into books by then, so when I first heard the word from her, it immediately reminded me of the Pantheon, that famous Roman temple built between the 1st and 2nd centuries. For years, I wondered if the Pantheon of Ancient Rome had any influence over the origin of the word panteón especially since they sound almost the same when uttered.

Later in life, when I was already into etymology (the study of the origin of words), I found out that what I have been suspecting all these years is correct. The local word panteón indeed originated from the Pantheon of Rome. This temple was built by Roman general Marcus Agrippa who was also an architect. It was dedicated to all Roman gods. Years later, when Christianity triumphed over pagan Rome, Pope Boniface IV rededicated the temple to the Virgin Mary and all Christian martyrs, paving the way to the development of the feast of All Saints' Day.

This same Roman temple became the inspiration for the French revolutionists who, after seizing the Church of Sainte-Geneviève, turned it into what is now known as the Panthéon of Paris. Since then, the word pantheon has been applied to buildings in which illustrious dead are honoured or buried. Here in Filipinas, its local equivalent (panteón) specifically refers to either a tombstone or a mausoleum.

_{* "Pantion" and "pantiyon" are erroneous spellings. Panteón is Spanish for Pantheon.} _{Follow me on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Threads.}