five-six

five-six

English

Alternative forms

• 5-6

Etymology

From the high interest rate given, i.e. when ₱5 is borrowed, ₱6 must be returned.

Noun

five-six (uncountable)

1. (Philippines, informal) A moneylending scheme stereotypically associated with Indian nationals, especially Punjabis, in the Philippines.
   • 1991, Dimitri A. Germidis, Denis Kessler, Rachel Meghir, Financial Systems and Development: What Role for the Formal and Informal Financial Sectors?, OECD

     One of their most notorious loan arrangements is the "five-six” scheme, that is, for every five pesos borrowed, six must be returned. Usually daily payment is demanded from the first day of the loan, although sometimes payment falls due at the ...

   • 2005, Maria Lourdes S. Bautista, Linguistic Society of the Philippines, Linguistics and language education in the Philippines and beyond: a festschrift in honor of Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista

     Hapless citizens borrow money from five-six money lenders, e.g. borrowing five thousand and returning six within a month or even a week.

   • 2006, Brij V. Lal, Peter Reeves, Rajesh Rai, The Encyclopedia of the Indian Diaspora

     Despite their number and their assimilationist proclivities, Filipino Punjabis are sometimes pejoratively called 'five-six Indians'.

   • 2010, Andy Kirkpatrick, The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes, Routledge, →ISBN, page 253:

     Hapless citizens borrow money from five-six money lenders ('borrowing at high rates of interest', i.e. borrowing five thousand and returning six ... ).

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Tagalog

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English five-six.

Noun

five-six

1. (informal) five-six
   • 1986, National Mid-week

     E, siyempre, wala namang magpapautang sa iyo nang walang tubo, kaya ang mga empleyado halos baon na ho sa five-six.

   • 1992, NATCCO Congress 1: Agenda & Reports : a Report of the Proceedings of and Resolutions Adopted by the NATCCO Congress I Held at the Asian Institute of Tourism (AIT), Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, on May 27-29, 1992

     Umutang ulit sa 'five-six' (siguro walapang kooperatiba sa lugar na iyon). Nagtanim. Halos anihin na. Umulan, bumagyo, natangay.

   • 1990, Philippine Studies

     Pag nangolekta ng pautang sa five six . . . isang linggo, ang limang piso ibabalik ng anim. AE - When you charge usurious rates for loans . . .

   • 1993, Ma. Ceres P. Doyo, Journalist in Her Country: Articles, Essays & Photographs, 1980-1992

     I said, bawiin ninyo ang sinabi ninyo! Magkakautang-utang ba ako sa five-six para hanapin ang asawa ko kung totoo yan?" A bishop told her, "Romy is a smart boy. If he were somewhere he would somehow let you know."

   • 2005, Roland B. Tolentino, Sakit ng kalingkingan: 100 dagli sa edad ng krisis, →ISBN:

     Pero kulang pa ang ganitong kita para sa maraming Filipina dahil baon sila sa utang mula sa five-six para makapunta lamang sa Hong Kong. Kaya kada matapos ang trabaho, si Maria ay uupo sa kantong mesa sa distrito ng Wan Chai.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)