IlocanoWelcome to Dialect101's learn to speak the Ilocano Dialect.
Ilokano (Ti Pagsasao nga Iloko) (also called Ilocano, Iluko, Iloco, Iloko, Ylocano, and Yloco) is the third most-spoken language of the Republic of the Philippines.
An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Indonesian, Malay, Fijian, Maori (of New Zealand), Hawaiian, Malagasy (of Madagascar), Samoan, Tahitian, Chamorro (of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands), Tetum (of East Timor), and Paiwan (of Taiwan).
Ilocanos are descendants of Austronesian-speaking people from southern China via Borneo. Families and clans arrived by viray or bilog, meaning "boat". The term Ilokano, as commonly accepted, originates from i-, "from", and looc, "cove or bay", thus "people of the bay." But some modern scholars, however, argue that as taking into consideration the Ilocano tradition of giving names to their place of residency is concerned, the i + looc etymology is not of local origin. These scholars suggest that the term Ilocano comes from "i-", "from", and "lukong", "the flat lands" or "the lowlands". Ilokanos also refer to themselves as Samtoy, a contraction from the Ilokano phrase sao mi atoy, "our language here".
An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Indonesian, Malay, Fijian, Maori (of New Zealand), Hawaiian, Malagasy (of Madagascar), Samoan, Tahitian, Chamorro (of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands), Tetum (of East Timor), and Paiwan (of Taiwan).
Ilocanos are descendants of Austronesian-speaking people from southern China via Borneo. Families and clans arrived by viray or bilog, meaning "boat". The term Ilokano, as commonly accepted, originates from i-, "from", and looc, "cove or bay", thus "people of the bay." But some modern scholars, however, argue that as taking into consideration the Ilocano tradition of giving names to their place of residency is concerned, the i + looc etymology is not of local origin. These scholars suggest that the term Ilocano comes from "i-", "from", and "lukong", "the flat lands" or "the lowlands". Ilokanos also refer to themselves as Samtoy, a contraction from the Ilokano phrase sao mi atoy, "our language here".