Where does “balik-sabi” come from?

balik-sabi (Tagalog) comes from Tagalog balik, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *balik — to return; to repeat.

balik-sabi (Tagalog): retort; repartee

Definitions

  1. retort; repartee

Ancestry of “balik-sabi”, step by step

balik-sabi traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tagalog balik

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tagalogbalikthe act of returning; the act of bringing back...
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*balikto return; to repeat

via Tagalog sabi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1TagalogsabiSpeech; what one says; To say; to speak; To tell
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *balik →Every word from Tagalog balik →