Module 1: Analysis of Primary Sources - Meaning and Relevance of History

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on meaning, relevance, and analysis of primary sources in Philippine history.

History

The study of past events; from Greek historie meaning inquiry.

Historie

Greek root for history, meaning inquiry.

Kasaysayan

Filipino concept of history where Salaysay (narrative) and Saysay (meaning) are inseparable; history must have meaning.

Salaysay

Narrative or story; a component of Kasaysayan.

Saysay

Meaning or significance; a component of Kasaysayan.

Historiography

The practice or art of writing history.

True Filipino People

’s History

A history that treats Filipinos as primary agents, aims for social justice and participation, and depicts all aspects of Filipino reality.

The Motive Force

The tradition of struggle as the motive force of Philippine history; mass action raises consciousness and drives social change.

Renato Constantino

Historian who argued that official colonial historiography distorts the true past.

The Historian

’s Task in the Philippines

Historical work that seeks true Filipino history with social justice and participation; depicts all aspects of the Filipino experience and reforms society.

Source

Materials from which historians construct meanings about the past; the basis of knowledge, including artifacts and testimonies.

Artifact

A physical remnant left by the past used to infer culture, relations, and history.

Relic

Remains or objects that offer clues about the past; examples include wooden columns and other cultural traces.

Testimony

Oral or written reports of past events; explains what happened, how, and why; supplements the raw material.

Primary Source

Direct source from the period (e.g., letters, chronicles, diaries) providing direct evidence.

Indirect Source

A source about the past produced by non-participants; example: inventory listing that reveals training or interests.

Secondary Source

Records produced after events by nonparticipants that interpret or analyze primary sources.

Diplomatic Source

A primary source produced for legal/political purposes (e.g., charters, Urkunde, diplome) with distinct parts.

Charter

A legal instrument granting rights or recording a legal transaction; examples include Urkunde/Charte/Diplome.

Protocol (Diplomatic Source)

Opening part of a diplomatic document.

Content Itself

The main body of a diplomatic document.

Closing Functions

Ending provisions such as lawgiving, judgments, contracts, or wills in a diplomatic document.

Archaeological Evidence

Physical records from bureaucratic record-keeping (ambassador reports, municipal accounts) revealing economic, social, political, and judicial information.

Unwritten Sources

Non-written evidence (e.g., coin hoards, currencies, oral tales, protest songs, performances) crucial for certain periods.

Oral Evidence

Tales, sagas, songs, and performances that inform about culture and society.

Ego Document

Personal narratives (diaries, memoirs) that reveal the author

’s actions and perspectives.

Narrative/Literary Source

Chronicles or tracts in narrative form aimed at imparting a message; motives vary (scientific tract, newspaper, ego document, film/novel, moral teaching, biography).

Scientific Tract

A narrative intended to inform contemporaries or future generations with scientific aims.

Technological Innovations

Milestones in information technologies (writing 3000 B.C.; printing; sound recordings; radio; TV; computer) that affect how sources are produced and preserved.

Bias in Philippine History

Issues in writing Philippine history: biased, discriminatory, self-serving ends; elite-centric, patriarchal, and with emphasis on lowland Christianized Filipinos.

What to Do

Actions to improve history writing: reevaluate narrow views, write local histories, attend lectures and trainings.

Boundary Between Source and Historical Study

Not always clear; early historians like Herodotus and Thucydides created sources and interpretations; historians must distinguish information from sources versus interpretation.