bala' 2 verb English. Experiences retribution for proscribed or taboo activity; such retribution takes the form of crop failure, disease, death of the perpetrator or his/her child. Example sentence: Subanen. Pegdelendem ka, megbala'a pa ma. English. Think about (what you're doing) lest you cause s.t. bad to happen to you (or those associated with you) (because of what you did). c.f. saga Idiom: bala' ngalan English. Uttered when one must say s.o's name, “Excuse the mention of _'s name.” Example sentence: Subanen. Pedam mau gispudu, tutudan ku pa ini pundung ku, bala' ngalan ni Tutudan. English. Lend me a match to light (tutudan) my cigarette, begging Tutudan's pardon for mentioning his name. Cultural Note. Not necessarily supernatural implication, simply an expression of respect when one mentions a word that happens to be the same as a person"s name. Said if the person whose name is being said is present or absent.