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Ilocano language

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Ilocano (also Iloko, Ilokano) refers to the language and culture associated with the Ilocano people, the third largest ethnic group in the Philippines.

People & Culture

Ilocanos are of Malay stock, descendants of Southeast Asian migrants that settled the Philippines in successive waves for centuries. They are a migratory people and although their original homeland constitutes the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and parts of La Union and Abra... (more to come)

Language

Ilocano or Iloko (ISO 639 ilo) is a Western Austronesian language spoken in Northern Luzon, Philippines and in various parts of the country and around the world. It comprises its own branch in the Philippine Cordilleran family of languages and is the lingua franca of the northern region. It is spoken by about nine million people.

Orthography

Written Script (see Baybayin)

Pre-colonial Ilocanos employed a syllabic script similar to Vedic writing in India and used in languages throughout Indonesia (e.g. Buginese) and the Philippines. This writing system was not limited to elite classes but was widely used in the population prior to European arrival. The script is akin to the Tagalog and Pangasinan scripts but was the first to designate coda consonants with a diacritic mark. Whereas the Tagalog script expected its reader to supply the coda consonant based on context, the Ilocano script was innovated with a cross verama to designate coda consonants. The Ilocano Doctrina Cristiana of 1621, one of the earliest surviving publications, display this device.

Common expressions

How are you?            Cumusta?
Good day                Naimbag nga aldaw
Good morning            Naimbag nga bigat
Good afternoon          Naimbag nga malem
Good evening            Naimbag nga rabi&iumli
What is your name?      Ania ti naganmo? (often contracted to Ania't naganmo)
Where's the bathroom?   Ayanna diay ba&ntildeno?
Goodbye                 Sige or Innakon (I'm going)