manananggal* _n._ \
- A type of _aswang_ in Bikol folklore that separates its upper torso from its lower body at night to hunt. It flies using bat-like wings, with entrails trailing, and preys on pregnant women using a long, proboscis-like tongue. \
- _By extension_: A person, usually female, who lives a double life or keeps secrets: _“An kapitbahay mi garo manananggal, pag aldaw maboot, pag banggi lain.”_
“Our neighbor is like a manananggal, kind by day, different at night.”
*Etymology*: From root _tanggal_ “to remove/detach”, with prefix _man-_ indicating habitual action. Lit. “one who removes.”
*Cultural note*: Repelled by salt, ash, garlic, or stingray tail. Cannot rejoin its lower half if salt is sprinkled on it before dawn. Commonly sighted in rural areas near bamboos and banana groves.
*See also*: _aswang, tiktik, wakwak_