kalatas

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /kalaˈtas/ [kɐ.lɐˈt̪as]
• Rhymes: -as
• Syllabification: ka‧la‧tas

Possibly from the following:

• From Early Modern Spanish cartas, plural of carta (“letter, missive, chart”), from Latin charta. The Spanish etymology was provided by the Vocabulario de la lengua tagala of Noceda & Sanlucar, Vocabulario de lengua tagala of San Buenaventura, and by the Commission on the Filipino Language.
• From Classical Malay کرتس (kertas, “paper”), from Arabic قِرْطَاس (qirṭās), from Aramaic קַרְטִיסָא / ܩܲܪܛܝܼܣܵܐ (qarṭīsā). However, according to Potet (2013), paper was little known by 15^th century in the Malay archipelago.

Both routes come from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs), possibly derived from Phoenician 𐤇𐤓𐤈𐤉𐤕 (ḥrṭyt). Compare Maguindanao kalëtas / kaltas / karatas (“paper”), Maranao karatas (“paper”), Tausug kātas (“paper”), Brunei Malay keratas, and Malay kertas. Doublet of karta and kard. See also tsart.

kalatás (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜎᜆᜐ᜔) (archaic)

1. paper

   Synonym: papel

2. letter (written message)

   Synonyms: sulat, liham

• calatas, caltas — obsolete, Spanish-based spelling
• kaltas — obsolete

From katas +‎ *-al-.

kalatás (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜎᜆᜐ᜔) (dialectal, Quezon)

1. lemon juice (the liquid extract of lemon fruit)

   Synonym: (Quezon) diga

• “kalatas”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2025
• “kalatas”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• English, Leo James (1987), Tagalog-English dictionary, Manila, Philippines: National Book Store, →ISBN, page 277
• Panganiban, José Villa (1973), Diksyunaryo-Tesauro Pilipino-Ingles (overall work in Tagalog and English), Quezon City: Manlapaz Publishing Co., page 226
• Serrano Laktaw, Pedro (1914), Diccionario tagálog-hispano (overall work in Tagalog and Spanish), Intramuros, Manila: Ateneo de Manila., page 432
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de; Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860), Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves, y coordinado por…, ultimamente aumentado y corregido por varios religiosos de la Orden de Agustinos calzados. (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: Ramírez y Giraudier., page 78
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613), Vocabulario de lengua tagala. El romance castellano puesto primero. Primera, y segunda parte.‎^[1] (overall work in Early Modern Spanish and Classical Tagalog), as directed by Gov. Gen. Juan de Silva, Pila, Laguna: La noble Villa de Pila, por Tomás Pinpin y Domingo Loag., page 463: “Papel) Calatas (pc) C. anſi le ſolian llamar. I. caltas. pero y ale llaman todos papel.”
• Zorc, David Paul (1981), Core Etymological Dictionary of Filipino: Part 2, page 68
• Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2016), Tagalog Borrowings and Cognates, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 317
• Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2013), Arabic and Persian Loanwords in Tagalog, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 204
• Cuadrado Muñiz, Adolfo (1972), Hispanismos en el tagalo: diccionario de vocablos de origen español vigentes en esta lengua filipina, Madrid: Oficina de Educación Iberoamericana, page 118
• Manuel, E. Arsenio (1971), A Lexicographic Study of Tayabas Tagalog of Quezon Province, Quezon City: Diliman Review, page 180

• salakat