By Ambeth R. Ocampo

“Adios patria adorada” – is the first line of the poem titled “Ultimo Adios”.

Emilio Aguinaldo – the first Philippine Republic president declared December 30, 1898 a national day of mourning.

Ateneo Municipal – a public secondary school in Intramuros run by the Jesuits.

Ferdinand Blumentritt – Rizal’s friend who campaigned for Philippine independence.

Jose Burgos – one of the Gomburza, whose influence was transmitted to Rizal by Paciano.

Bagumbayan (new field) – was where Gomburza and Rizal were executed.

Andres Bonifacio – read Rizal’s writing, translated “Ultimo Adios” to Tagalog.

Calamba, Laguna – The town where Rizal was born on June 19, 1861.

Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte – Rizal’s place of exile, 1892-1896.

Elias – character in “Noli Me Tangere” often interpreted to be Bonifacio.

Federico Faura – founder of the Manila Observatory and inventor of the Faura barometer.

“El Filibusterismo” – published in Ghent, Belgium in 1891, sequel to “Noli Me Tangere”.

Francisco Mercado – father of Jose Rizal, married to Teodora Alonso and had 11 children.

Gertrude Beckett – was the daughter of Rizal’s landorld in London. In her letters, her pet name was “Gettie” and she called Rizal “Pettie”.

Heidelberg – the university town where Rizal took ophthalmology under Otto Becker. “To the Flowers of Heidelberg”

One of the urban legends that Rizal sired Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with one of his women while in Europe.

Indolence of the Filipino – one of Rizal’s famous essays in response to the myth of the lazy native spread by the Spanish colonizers.

Jose Rizal – was the second son, the seventh of the 11 children

Josefa Rizal – a.k.a. Panggoy was Rizal’s youngest sister.

Josefina – was the Spanish form for Josephine or Josephine Bracken, Rizal’s common-law-wife in Dapitan.

“Sa Aking mga Kababata” – was a poem said to have been written when Rizal was 8. “ An hindi magmahal sa sariling salita, masahol a sa hayop at malansang isda”

A year after his graduation in Ateneo in 1877, Rizal graduated again in land surveying.

“Double Leonor” – Rizal was associated with two women: Leonor Rivera and Leonor Valenzuela.

Lottery – Rizal actually hit the second prize while he was an exile in Dapitan.

In 1892 Rizal wrote the beginnings of a satirical novel in Tagalog. The opening chapter was called “Makamisa” (After the mass).

Antonio de Morga – in 1609 published the “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas” (Events of the Philippine islands), a book that Rizal republished in Paris, 1890.

“Noli Me Tangere” (Touch me not) – Rizal’s first book, Berlin in 1887.

Nellie Bousted was the woman who caused the love-sick Antonio Luna to challenge Rizal to a duel.

Rizal specialized in ophthalmology after his medical studies in Madrid, to cure his mother’s failing eyesight.

Paciano Mercado – was Rizal's elder brother, translated “Noli” into Tagalog. Fought the Spanish and became a general during the Filipino-American War.

Pablo Pastells – was the Jesuit superior with whom Rizal corresponded from Dapitan on religious and philosophical issues.

Quiroga – a character in “El Filibusterismo”

Quiopquiap – the pseudonym of Pablo Feced, a journalist known for his anti-Filipino writings.

Rednaxela is Alexander spelled backwards and was the name of the street where Rizal lived in Hong Kong.

Ricial, Risal or later Rizal – a word that denoted green field ready for harvest.

Another urban legend about Rizal – could have been the infamous Jack the Ripper because he was in London at the time the Ripper murders took place. “J.R.”

Rizal proposed to establish a Filipino colony in Sandakan, North Borneo.

Segunda Katigbak was Rizal’s first love.

“La Solidaridad” the Filipino newspaper in Spain edited by Graciano Lopez Jaena and latr, Marcelo H. del Pilar, where Rizal submitted some of his most famous essays.

Teodora Alonso – Rizal’s mother Tetcho Suehiro – a Japanese journalist

whom Rizal met on a ship bound for the United States. “The Man from Manila”

Some people during Rizal’s lifetime referred to Rizal as “Dr. Uliman” from “el doctor Aleman” (the German doctor)

Unter den Linden - is a famous Berlin boulevard mentioned in Rizal's writing.

Usui Seiko – a Japanese woman whom Rizal fell in love with.

Valentin Ventura – a wealthy friend from Pampanga who lived in Paris and advanced the funds for the publication of “El Filibusterismo”.

Part of Rizal’s vertebra or backbone is displayed in Fort Santiago. This chipped piece of bone was preserved to show where the bullet hit him.

Women of Malolos – Rizal wrote a letter to the women of Malolos who, against friar objections, proposed a night school where they could learn Spanish instead of customary and purely religious teachings.

Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of the ill-fated Fr. Jose Burgos , interceded for Rizal who was not admitted into the Ateneo Municipal due to his small stature.

In Spanish orthography the letters “I” and “Y” are sometimes interchangeable, which explains Rizal’s characters Ybarra/ Ibarra and Ysagani/ Isagani in “El Fili”.

Los Yndios/ Indios Bravos after the “brave Indians”. “Indio”

During his exile in Dapitan, Rizal collected specimens: sea shells, butterflies, flora, fauna, and other artifacts. Winged lizard (dracorizali), a frog or toad (rachophorusrizali) and a bug or beetle (apogoniarizali).

Ben Zayb – a character in “El Filibusterismo”