Boondocks Boondocks The boondocks is an American expression that stems from the Tagalog word "bundók" ("mountain"). It originally referred to a remote rural area, but now it is often applied to an out-of-the-way city or town considered backward and unsophisticated. It can also designate a 'mountain'. The expression was introduced to English by U.S. military personnel fighting in the Philippine–American War (1899-1902). It derives from the Tagalog word ""bundók"", which means "mountain". According to military historian Paul A. Kramer, the term originally had "connotations of bewilderment and confusion", due to the guerrilla warfare in which the soldiers were engaged. In the
Vanua Vanua The word banua or vanua – meaning "land," "home," or "village" – occurs in several Austronesian languages. It derives from the Proto-Austronesian reconstructed form *"banua". The word has particular significance in several countries. In the Kapampangan language, "banwa" or "banua" means "sky" or "year". In the Hiligaynon Visayan language, "banwa" means "people", "nation" or "country." In the Tagalog/Filipino language, a similar word "bansa" also means "country", "nation" or "country." In the Malay language (both Malaysian Malay and Indonesian language), benua means "landmass" or "continent". The word for "land" in these languages and nearby Austronesian languages are "tanah" or "tana".