Ilocano language

Not to be confused with Alekano language.

Ilocano
Ilokano
Iloko, Iluko, Iloco, Pagsasao nga Ilokano, Samtoy, Sao mi datoy
Native to	Philippines
Region	Northern Luzon, many parts of Central Luzon and a few parts of Mindanao
Ethnicity	Ilocano
Native speakers	8,746,169 (2020) 2 million L2 speakers (2000) Third most spoken native language in the Philippines
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Northern Luzon Ilocano
Writing system	Latin (Ilocano alphabet), Ilokano Braille Historically Kur-itan
Official status
Official language in	La Union
Recognised minority language in	Philippines
Regulated by	Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
Language codes
ISO 639-2	ilo
ISO 639-3	ilo
Glottolog	ilok1237
Linguasphere	31-CBA-a
Area where Ilokano is spoken according to Ethnologue Striped areas are Itneg-Ilokano bilingual communities in Abra

An Ilocano speaker, recorded in the United States.

Iloco (also Ilokano; /iːloʊˈkɑːnoʊ/; Ilocano: Pagsasao nga Iloko) is an Austronesian language predominantly spoken in the Philippines by the Ilocano people. It ranks as the third most widely spoken native language in the country and serves as a lingua franca in Northern Luzon, particularly among the Igorot people and the indigenous settlers of Cagayan Valley.

As an Austronesian language, Ilocano shares linguistic roots with other Philippine languages and is related to Malay (both Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Māori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan, and Malagasy. It exhibits close ties with several Austronesian languages in Northern Luzon and has some degree of mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and certain eastern dialects of Bontoc.

The Ilocano people historically utilized an indigenous writing system known as kur-itan. There have been proposals to revive this script by incorporating its instruction in public and private schools within Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, where Ilocano is predominantly spoken.

Classification

Iloco (Ilocano) like all Philippine languages, belongs to the Austronesian language family, which is believed to have originated in Taiwan. It constitutes its own branch within the Philippine Cordilleran subfamily and is spoken as a first language by approximately seven million people.

As a lingua franca of Northern Luzon and several areas of Central Luzon, Ilocano is also spoken as a second language by over two million people, including native speakers of Ibanag, Ivatan, Pangasinan, Sambal, and other regional languages.

Geographic Distribution

Main article: Ilocos Region

Ilokano-speaking density per province. Enlarge picture to see percent distribution.

Area where Ilocano is the majority language.

The Ilocano language is primarily spoken in the Ilocos Region, the Babuyan Islands, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, and the northern and western parts of Central Luzon. It is also spoken in Batanes, parts of Mindoro and Palawan, and scattered areas in Mindanao, particularly in the Soccsksargen region. Internationally, it is spoken in the United States, with the largest concentrations in Hawaii and California, as well as in Canada. In Hawaii, 17% of those who speak a non-English language at home speak Ilocano, making it the most spoken non-English language in the state.

In September 2012, the province of La Union became the first in the Philippines to pass an ordinance recognizing Ilocano (Iloko) as an official provincial language, alongside Filipino and English. This ordinance aims to protect and revitalize the Ilocano language, although other languages, such as Pangasinan, Kankanaey, and Ibaloi, are also spoken in La Union.

Writing System

Our Father prayer from Doctrina Cristiana, 1621. Written in Ilocano using Baybayin script.

Modern alphabet

The modern Ilokano alphabet consists of 29 letters:

Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, LLll, Mm, Nn, Ññ, NGng, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, and Zz

Pre-colonial

Pre-colonial Ilocano people of all classes wrote in a syllabic system known as Baybayin prior to European arrival. They used a system that is termed as an abugida, or an alphasyllabary. It was similar to the Tagalog and Pangasinan scripts, where each character represented a consonant-vowel, or CV, sequence. The Ilocano version, however, was the first to designate coda consonants with a diacritic mark – a cross or virama – shown in the Doctrina Cristiana of 1621, one of the earliest surviving Ilokano publications. Before the addition of the virama, writers had no way to designate coda consonants. The reader, on the other hand, had to guess whether a consonant not succeeding a vowel is read or not, for it is not written. Vowel apostrophes interchange between e or i, and o or u. Due to this, the vowels e and i are interchangeable, and letters o and u, for instance, tendera and tindira ('shop-assistant').

Modern

Ilocano version of the Book of Mormon, written with the Tagalog system, as can be seen by the use of the letter K

In recent times, there have been two systems in use: the Spanish system and the Tagalog system. In the Spanish system words of Spanish origin kept their spellings. Native words, on the other hand, conformed to the Spanish rules of spelling. Most older generations of Ilocanos use the Spanish system.

In the alphabet system based on that of Tagalog there is more of a phoneme-to-letter correspondence, which better reflects the actual pronunciation of the word. The letters ng constitute a digraph and count as a single letter, following n in alphabetization. As a result, numo ('humility') appears before ngalngal ('to chew') in newer dictionaries. Words of foreign origin, most notably those from Spanish, need to be changed in spelling to better reflect Ilocano phonology. Words of English origin may or may not conform to this orthography. A prime example using this system is the weekly magazine Bannawag.

Samples of the two systems

The following are two versions of the Lord's Prayer. The one on the left is written using Spanish-based orthography, while the one on the right uses the Tagalog-based system.

Amami, ñga addaca sadi lañgit,

Madaydayao cuma ti Naganmo.

Umay cuma ti pagariam.

Maaramid cuma ti pagayatam

Cas sadi lañgit casta met ditoy daga.

Itedmo cadacami iti taraonmi iti inaldao.

Quet pacaoanennacami cadaguiti ut-utangmi,

A cas met panamacaoanmi

Cadaguiti nacautang cadacami.

Quet dinacam iyeg iti pannacasulisog,

No di quet isalacannacami iti daques.

Amami, nga addaka sadi langit,

Madaydayaw koma ti Naganmo.

Umay koma ti pagariam.

Maaramid koma ti pagayatam

Kas sadi langit kasta met ditoy daga.

Itedmo kadakami iti taraonmi iti inaldaw.

Ket pakawanennakami kadagiti ut-utangmi,

A kas met panamakawanmi

Kadagiti nakautang kadakami.

Ket dinakam iyeg iti pannakasulisog,

No di ket isalakannakami iti dakes.

Comparison between the two systems

Rules	Spanish-based	Tagalog-based	Translation
c → k	tocac	tukak	frog
ci, ce → si, se	acero	asero	steel
ch → ts	ocho	otso	eight
f → p1	familia	pamilia	family
gui, gue → gi, ge	daguiti	dagiti	the
ge, gi → he, hi2	página	pahina	page
ll → li	caballo	kabalio	horse
ñ → ni	baño	banio	bathroom
ñg, ng̃ → ng	ñgioat, ng̃ioat	ngiwat	mouth
Vo(V) → Vw(V)	aoan aldao	awan aldaw	nothing day
qui, que → ki, ke	iquit	ikit	aunt
v → b	voces	boses	voice
z → s	zapatos	sapatos	shoe

Notes

1. In Ilocano phonology, the labiodental fricative sound /f/ does not exist. Its approximate sound is /p/. Therefore, in words of Spanish or English origin, /f/ becomes /p/. In particular (yet not always the case), last names beginning with /f/ are often said with /p/, for example Fernández /per.'nan.des/.2. The sound /h/ only occurs in loanwords, and in the negative variant haan.

Ilocano and Education

With the implementation by the Spanish of the Bilingual Education System of 1897, Ilocano, together with the other seven major languages (those that have at least a million speakers), was allowed to be used as a medium of instruction until the second grade. It is recognized by the Commission on the Filipino Language as one of the major languages of the Philippines. Constitutionally, Ilocano is an auxiliary official language in the regions where it is spoken and serves as auxiliary media of instruction therein.

In 2009, the Department of Education instituted Department Order No. 74, s. 2009 stipulating that "mother tongue-based multilingual education" would be implemented. In 2012, Department Order No. 16, s. 2012 stipulated that the mother tongue-based multilingual system was to be implemented for Kindergarten to Grade 3 Effective School Year 2012–2013. Ilocano is used in public schools mostly in the Ilocos Region and the Cordilleras. It is the primary medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3 (except for the Filipino and English subjects) and is also a separate subject from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Thereafter, English and Filipino are introduced as mediums of instruction.

Literature

Main article: Ilocano literature

The Ten Commandments in Ilocano

Ilocano literature serves as a vibrant reflection of the rich cultural heritage and history of the Ilocano people, tracing its origins to their animistic past. It encompasses a profound backdrop of mythology, folklore, and superstition, all rooted in a tradition of oral history shaped by cultural evolution. Key narratives include creation myths featuring figures such as Aran, Angalo, and Namarsua, the Creator, alongside tales of benevolent and malevolent spirits that are integral to the Ilocano worldview.

Shaped by centuries of interaction with diverse influences, Ilocano literature encompasses a wide array of literary forms, including epic poetry, folk tales, proverbs, riddles, religious documents, and songs. Central themes include resilience, familial loyalty, honor, and a deep connection to both the natural and spiritual realms.

Ancient Ilocano poets articulated their expressions through folk and war songs, as well as the dallot, an improvised long poem delivered in a melodic manner. A significant work within this literary tradition is the epic Biag ni Lam-ang (The Life of Lam-ang), which stands as one of the few indigenous narratives to have survived colonial influence. While it has assimilated foreign elements over time, it continues to embody essential values such as courage, loyalty, and the importance of familial and ancestral bonds.

Ilocano culture is further celebrated through life rituals, festivities, and oral traditions, expressed in songs (kankanta), dances (salsala), poems (dandaniw), proverbs (pagsasao), and literary duels (bucanegan). These rich literary forms not only preserve Ilocano identity but also demonstrate its adaptability within the evolving Filipino cultural landscape.

During the Spanish regime, Iloco poetry was heavily influenced by Spanish literary forms, with the earliest written Iloco poems largely based on romances translated from Spanish by Francisco Lopez. In 1621, Lopez published the Doctrina Cristiana, the first book printed in Iloco, marking a significant milestone in the documentation of Ilocano literature. The 17th-century author Pedro Bucaneg, known for his collaboration with Lopez on the Doctrina, is celebrated as the "Father of Ilocano Poetry and Literature," credited for composing the epic Biag ni Lam-ang ("Life of Lam-ang"). This poem, which narrates the extraordinary adventures of the Ilocano hero Lam-ang, encapsulates core values of the Ilocano people, such as courage, loyalty, and respect for familial and ancestral ties. A study of Iloco poetry can also be found in the Gramatica Ilokana, published in 1895, which is based on Lopez's earlier work, Arte de la Lengua Iloca, published in 1627 but likely written before 1606.

In the 18th century, missionaries played a crucial role in promoting literacy and religious education among the Ilocano population through the publication of both religious and secular texts, including Sumario de las Indulgencias de la Santa Correa by Fr. Jacinto Rivera and a translation of St. Vincent Ferrer’s sermons by Fr. Antonio Mejia. The 19th century witnessed the rise of Leona Florentino, who has been recognized as the "National Poetess of the Philippines," although her sentimental poetry received criticism from modern readers for lacking depth and structure.

The early 20th century brought forth notable Ilocano writers such as Manuel Arguilla, whose prose effectively captured the unique aspects of Ilocano culture during his time as a World War II guerrilla hero. Carlos Bulosan emerged as another prominent figure, with his novel America is in the Heart celebrated as a significant work in the Filipino-American literary canon. Other distinguished writers from this period include F. Sionil Jose, known for his epic sagas set in Pangasinan, and Isabelo de los Reyes, who played a pivotal role in preserving and publishing Ilocano literary works, including the earliest known text of Biag ni Lam-ang.

Phonology

Segmental

Vowels

While there is no official dialectology for Ilocano, the usually agreed dialects of Ilocano are two, which are differentiated only by the way the letter e is pronounced. In the Amianan (Northern) dialect, there exist only five vowels while the older Abagatan (Southern) dialect employs six.

• Amianan: /a/, /i/, /u/, /ɛ ~ e/, /o/
• Abagatan: /a/, /i/, /u/, /ɛ ~ e/, /o/, /ɯ/

Reduplicate vowels are not slurred together, but voiced separately with an intervening glottal stop:

• saan: /sa.ʔan/ 'no'
• siit: /si.ʔit/ 'thorn'

The letter in bold is the graphic (written) representation of the vowel.

Ilokano vowel chart

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i /i/		u/o /u/ e /ɯ/
Mid	e /ɛ ~ e/		o /o/
Open		a /a/

For a better rendition of vowel distribution, please refer to the IPA Vowel Chart.

Unstressed /a/ is pronounced [ɐ] in all positions except final syllables, like madí [mɐˈdi] ('cannot be') but ngiwat ('mouth') is pronounced [ˈŋiwat]. Unstressed /a/ in final-syllables is mostly pronounced [ɐ] across word boundaries.

Although the modern (Tagalog) writing system is largely phonetic, there are some notable conventions.

O/U and I/E

In native morphemes, the close back rounded vowel /u/ is written differently depending on the syllable. If the vowel occurs in the ultima of the morpheme, it is written o; elsewhere, u.

Example:

• Root: luto 'cook'
  • agluto 'to cook'
    • lutuen 'to cook (something)'; example: lutuen dayta

Instances such as masapulmonto, 'You will manage to find it, to need it', are still consistent. Note that masapulmonto is, in fact, three morphemes: masapul (verb base), -mo (pronoun) and -(n)to (future particle). An exception to this rule, however, is laud /la.ʔud/ ('west'). Also, u in final stressed syllables can be pronounced [o], like [dɐ.ˈnom] for danum ('water').

The two vowels are not highly differentiated in native words due to fact that /o/ was an allophone of /u/ in the history of the language. In words of foreign origin, notably Spanish, they are phonemic.

Example: uso 'use'; oso 'bear'

Unlike u and o, i and e are not allophones, but i in final stressed syllables in words ending in consonants can be [ɛ], like ubíng [ʊ.ˈbɛŋ] ('child').

The two closed vowels become glides when followed by another vowel. The close back rounded vowel /u/ becomes [w] before another vowel; and the close front unrounded vowel /i/, [j].

Example: kuarta /kwaɾ.ta/ 'money'; paria /paɾ.ja/ 'bitter melon'

In addition, dental/alveolar consonants become palatalized before /i/. (See Consonants below).

Unstressed /i/ and /u/ are pronounced [ɪ] and [ʊ] except in final syllables, like pintás ('beauty') [pɪn.ˈtas] and buténg ('fear') [bʊ.ˈtɛŋ, bʊ.ˈtɯŋ] but bangir ('other side') and parabur ('grace/blessing') are pronounced [ˈba.ŋiɾ] and [pɐ.ˈɾa.buɾ]. Unstressed /i/ and /u/ in final syllables are mostly pronounced [ɪ] and [ʊ] across word boundaries.

Pronunciation of ⟨e⟩

The letter ⟨e⟩ represents two vowels in the non-nuclear dialects (areas outside the Ilocos provinces) [ɛ ~ e] in words of foreign origin and [ɯ] in native words, and only one in the nuclear dialects of the Ilocos provinces, [ɛ ~ e].

Realization of ⟨e⟩

Word	Gloss	Origin	Nuclear	Non-nuclear
keddeng	'assign'	Native	[kɛd.dɛŋ, ked.deŋ]	[kɯd.dɯŋ]
elepante	'elephant'	Spanish	[ʔɛ.lɛ.pan.tɛ, ʔe.le.pan.te]

Diphthongs

Diphthongs are combination of a vowel and /i/ or /u/. In the orthography, the secondary vowels (underlying /i/ or /u/) are written with their corresponding glide, y or w, respectively. Of all the possible combinations, only /aj/ or /ej/, /iw/, /aw/ and /uj/ occur. In the orthography, vowels in sequence such as uo and ai, do not coalesce into a diphthong, rather, they are pronounced with an intervening glottal stop, for example, buok 'hair' /bʊ.ʔok/ and dait 'sew' /da.ʔit/.

Diphthongs

Diphthong	Orthography	Example
/au/	aw (for native words) / au (for spanish loanwords)	kabaw 'senile', autoridad ‘authority’
/iu/	iw	iliw 'home sick'
/ai/	ay (for native words) / ai (for spanish loanwords)	maysa 'one', baile ‘dance’
/ei/	ey	idiey 'there' (regional variant; standard idiay)
/oi/, /ui/	oy, uy	baboy 'pig'

The diphthong /ei/ is a variant of /ai/ in native words. Other occurrences are in words of Spanish and English origin. Examples are reyna /ˈɾei.na/ (from Spanish reina, 'queen') and treyner /ˈtɾei.nɛɾ/ ('trainer'). The diphthongs /oi/ and /ui/ may be interchanged since /o/ is an allophone of /u/ in final syllables. Thus, apúy ('fire') may be pronounced /ɐ.ˈpoi/ and baboy ('pig') may be pronounced /ˈba.bui/.

As for the diphthong /au/, the general rule is to use /aw/ for native words while /au/ will be used for spanish loanword such as the words autoridad, autonomia, automatiko. The same rule goes to the diphthong /ai/.

Consonants

		Bilabial	Dental/ Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Stops	Voiceless	p	t		k	(#∅ V/∅V∅/C-V) [ʔ]
	Voiced	b	d		g
Affricates	Voiceless			(ts, tiV) [tʃ]
	Voiced			(diV) [dʒ]
Fricatives			s	(siV) [ʃ]		h
Nasals		m	n	(niV) [nʲ]	ng [ŋ]
Laterals			l	(liV) [lʲ]
Flaps			r [ɾ]
Trills			(rr [r])
Semivowels		(w, CuV) [w]		(y, CiV) [j]

All consonantal phonemes except /h, ʔ/ may be a syllable onset or coda. The phoneme /h/ is a borrowed sound (except in the negative variant haan) and rarely occurs in coda position. Although the Spanish word reloj 'clock' would have been heard as [re.loh], the final /h/ is dropped resulting in /re.lo/. However, this word also may have entered the Ilokano lexicon at early enough a time that the word was still pronounced /re.loʒ/, with the j pronounced as in French, resulting in /re.los/ in Ilokano. As a result, both /re.lo/ and /re.los/ occur.

The glottal stop /ʔ/ is not permissible as coda; it can only occur as onset. Even as an onset, the glottal stop disappears in affixation. Take, for example, the root aramat [ʔɐ.ɾa.mat], 'use'. When prefixed with ag-, the expected form is *[ʔɐɡ.ʔɐ.ɾa.mat]. But, the actual form is [ʔɐ.ɡɐ.ɾa.mat]; the glottal stop disappears. In a reduplicated form, the glottal stop returns and participates in the template, CVC, agar-aramat [ʔɐ.ɡaɾ.ʔɐ.ɾa.mat]. Glottal stop /ʔ/ sometimes occurs non-phonemically in coda in words ending in vowels, but only before a pause.

Stops are pronounced without aspiration. When they occur as coda, they are not released, for example, sungbat [sʊŋ.bat̚] 'answer', 'response'.

Ilokano is one of the Philippine languages which is excluded from [ɾ]-[d] allophony, as /r/ in many cases is derived from a Proto-Austronesian *R; compare bago (Tagalog) and baró (Ilokano) 'new'.

The language marginally has a trill [r] which is spelled as rr, for example, serrek [sɯ.ˈrɯk] 'to enter'. Trill [r] is sometimes an allophone of [ɾ] in word-initial position, syllable-final, and word-final positions, spelled as single ⟨r⟩, for example, ruar 'outside' [ɾwaɾ] ~ [rwar]. It is only pronounced flap [ɾ] in affixation and across word boundaries, especially when vowel-ending word precedes word-initial ⟨r⟩. But it is different in proper names of foreign origin, mostly Spanish, like Serrano, which is correctly pronounced [sɛ.ˈrano]. Some speakers, however, pronounce Serrano as [sɛ.ˈɾano].

Prosody

Primary stress

The placement of primary stress is lexical in Ilocano. This results in minimal pairs such as /ˈkaː.jo/ ('wood') and /ka.ˈjo/ ('you' (plural or polite)) or /ˈkiː.ta/ ('class, type, kind') and /ki.ˈta/ ('see'). In written Ilokano the reader must rely on context, thus ⟨kayo⟩ and ⟨kita⟩. Primary stress can fall only on either the penult or the ultima of the root, as seen in the previous examples.

While stress is unpredictable in Ilokano, there are notable patterns that can determine where stress will fall depending on the structures of the penult, the ultima and the origin of the word.

• Foreign words – the stress of foreign (mostly Spanish) words adopted into Ilokano fall on the same syllable as the original.

Ilocano	Gloss	Comment
doktór	doctor	Spanish origin
agmaného	(to) drive	Spanish origin ('I drive')
agrekórd	(to) record	English origin (verb)
agtárget	to target	English origin (verb)

• CVC.'CV(C)# but 'CVŋ.kV(C)# – in words with a closed penult, stress falls on the ultima, except for instances of /-ŋ.k-/ where it is the penult.

Ilocano	Gloss	Comment
addá	there is/are	Closed penult
takkí	feces	Closed penult
bibíngka	(a type of delicacy)	-ŋ.k sequence

• 'C(j/w)V# – in words whose ultima is a glide plus a vowel, stress falls on the ultima.

Ilocano	Gloss	Comment
al-aliá	ghost	Consonant–glide–vowel
ibiáng	to involve (someone or something)	Consonant–glide–vowel
ressuát	creation	Consonant–glide–vowel

• C.'CV:.ʔVC# – in words where VʔV and V is the same vowel for the penult and ultima, the stress falls on the penult.

Ilocano	Gloss	Comment
buggúong	fermented fish or shrimp paste	Vowel–glottal–vowel
máag	idiot	Vowel–glottal–vowel
síit	thorn, spine, fish bone	Vowel–glottal–vowel

Secondary stress

Secondary stress occurs in the following environments:

• Syllables whose coda is the onset of the next, i.e., the syllable before a geminate.

Ilocano	Gloss	Comment
pannakakíta	ability to see	Syllable before geminate
keddéng	judgement, decision	Syllable before geminate
ubbíng	children	Syllable before geminate

• Reduplicated consonant-vowel sequence resulting from morphology or lexicon.

Ilocano	Gloss	Comment
agsasaó	speaks, is speaking	Reduplicate CV
ar-ariá	ghost, spirit	Reduplicate CV
agdadáit	sews, is sewing	Reduplicate CV

Vowel length

Vowel length coincides with stressed syllables (primary or secondary) and only on open syllables except for ultimas, for example, /'ka:.jo/ 'tree' versus /ka.'jo/ (second person plural ergative pronoun).

Stress shift

As primary stress can fall only on the penult or the ultima, suffixation causes a shift in stress one syllable to the right. The vowel of open penults that result lengthen as a consequence.

Stem	Suffix	Result	Gloss
/ˈpuː.dut/ (heat)	/-ɯn/ (Goal focus)	/pu.ˈduː.tɯn/	to warm/heat (something)
/da.ˈlus/ (clean)	/-an/ (Directional focus)	/da.lu.ˈsan/	to clean (something)

Grammar

Main articles: Ilocano grammar and Ilocano verb

Ilocano is typified by a predicate-initial structure. Verbs and adjectives occur in the first position of the sentence, then the rest of the sentence follows.

Ilocano uses a highly complex list of affixes (prefixes, suffixes, infixes and enclitics) and reduplications to indicate a wide array of grammatical categories. Learning simple root words and corresponding affixes goes a long way in forming cohesive sentences.

Lexicon

Borrowings

Foreign accretion comes largely from Spanish, followed by English and smatterings of much older accretion from Hokkien (Min Nan), Arabic and Sanskrit.

Examples of Borrowing

Word	Source	Original meaning	Ilocano meaning
arak	Arabic (via Malay)	drink similar to sake	generic alcoholic drink (more specifically, wine)
ukom	Arabic (via Malay)	judge	judge
karma	Sanskrit	deed (see Buddhism)	spirit
ragadi	Sanskrit (via Malay)	saw	saw
sarming	Malay	mirror	mirror
lako	Malay	marketable, saleable	merchandise
sanglay	Hokkien	to deliver goods	to deliver/Chinese merchant
agbuldos	English	to bulldoze	to bulldoze
kuarta	Spanish	cuarta ('quarter', a kind of copper coin)	money
kumosta	Spanish	greeting: ¿Cómo estás? ('How are you?')	How are you?
poder	Spanish	power	power, care
talier	Spanish	taller (workshop)	mechanic shop

Common expressions

Ilokano shows a T-V distinction.

English	Ilocano
Yes	Wen
No	Saan Haan (variant)
How are you?	Kumostaka? Kumostakayo? (polite and plural)
Good day	Naimbag nga aldaw. Naimbag nga aldawyo. (polite and plural)
Good morning	Naimbag a bigatmo. Naimbag a bigatyo. (polite and plural)
Good afternoon	Naimbag a malemmo. Naimbag a malemyo. (polite and plural)
Good evening	Naimbag a rabiim. Naimbag a rabiiyo. (polite and plural)
What is your name?	Ania ti naganmo? (often contracted to Ania't nagan mo? or Ana't nagan mo?) Ania ti naganyo?
Where's the bathroom?	Ayanna ti banio?
I do not understand	Saanko a maawatan/matarusan. Haanko a maawatan/matarusan. Diak maawatan/matarusan.
I love you	Ay-ayatenka. Ipatpategka.
I'm sorry.	Pakawanennak. Dispensarennak.
Thank you.	Agyamannak apo. Dios ti agngina.
Goodbye	Kastan/Kasta pay. (Till then) Sige. (Okay. Continue.) Innakon. (I'm going) Inkamin. (We are going) Ditakan. (You stay) Ditakayon. (You stay (pl.))
I/me	Siak.

Numbers, days, months

Numbers

Main article: Ilocano numbers

Ilocano uses two number systems, one native and the other derived from Spanish.

Numbers

0	ibbong awan (lit. 'none')	sero
0.25 (1/4)	pagkapat	kuarto
0.50 (1/2)	kagudua	mitad
1	maysa	uno
2	dua	dos
3	tallo	tres
4	uppat	kuatro
5	lima	singko
6	innem	sais
7	pito	siete
8	walo	otso
9	siam	nuebe
10	sangapulo (lit. 'a group of ten')	dies
11	sangapulo ket maysa	onse
12	sangapulo ket dua	dose
20	duapulo	beinte
30	tallopulo	treinta
50	limapulo	singkuenta
100	sangagasut (lit. 'a group of one hundred')	sien
1,000	sangaribo (lit. 'a group of one thousand'), ribo	mil
10,000	sangalaksa (lit. 'a group of ten thousand'), sangapulo a ribo	dies mil
1,000,000	sangariwriw (lit. 'a group of one million')	milion
1,000,000,000	sangabilion (American English, 'billion')	bilion (US-influenced), mil miliones

Ilocano uses a mixture of native and Spanish numbers. Traditionally Ilocano numbers are used for quantities and Spanish numbers for time or days and references. Examples:

Spanish:

Mano ti tawenmo?

'How old are you (in years)?' (Lit. 'How many years do you have?')

Baintiuno.

'Twenty one.'

Luktanyo dagiti Bibliayo iti libro ni Juan kapitulo tres bersikolo diesiseis.

'Open your Bibles to the book of John chapter three verse sixteen.'

Ilocano:

Mano a kilo ti bagas ti kayatmo?

'How many kilos of rice do you want?'

Sangapulo laeng.

'Ten only.'

Adda dua nga ikanna.

'He has two fish.' (lit. 'There are two fish with him.')

Days of the week

Days of the week are directly borrowed from Spanish.

Days of the Week

Monday	Lunes
Tuesday	Martes
Wednesday	Mierkoles
Thursday	Huebes
Friday	Biernes
Saturday	Sabado
Sunday	Domingo

Months

Like the days of the week, the names of the months are taken from Spanish.

Months

January	Enero	July	Hulio
February	Pebrero	August	Agosto
March	Marso	September	Septiembre
April	Abril	October	Oktubre
May	Mayo	November	Nobiembre
June	Hunio	December	Disiembre

Units of time

The names of the units of time are either native or derived from Spanish. The first entries in the following table are native; the second entries are Spanish-derived.

Units of time

second	kanito segundo
minute	daras minuto
hour	oras
day	aldaw
week	lawas dominggo (lit. 'Sunday'), semana (rare)
month	bulan
year	tawen anio

To mention time, Ilocanos use a mixture of Spanish and Ilocano:

1:00 a.m. Ala una iti bigat (one in the morning)

2:30 p.m. Alas dos y media iti malem, in Spanish: A las dos y media de la tarde (half past two in the afternoon)

6:00 p.m Alas sais iti sardang (six in the evening)

7:00 p.m Alas siete iti rabii (seven in the evening)

12:00 noon Alas dose iti pangaldaw (twelve noon)

More Ilocano words

Note: adjacent vowels are pronounced separately, and are not slurred together, as in ba-ak, or in la-ing

• abay = beside; wedding party
• abalayan = parents-in-law
• adal = study
• adayu = far
• adda = affirming the presence or existence of a person, place, or object
• ading = younger sibling; can also be applied to someone who is younger than the speaker
• adipen = slave
• ala = to take
• ammo = know
• anus = perseverance, patience (depends on the usage)
• ania/inia = what
• apan = go; to go
• apa = fight, argument; ice cream cone
• apay = why
• apong = grandparent
• apong baket/lilang/lola = grandmother
• apong lakay/lilong/lolo = grandfather
• aramid = build, work (Southern dialect)
• aruangan/ruangan = door
• asideg = near
• atiddug = long
• awan = none / nothing
• awan te remedio? = there is no cure?
• ay naku! = oh my goodness!
• ay sus!/Ay Apo! = oh, Jesus/oh, my God!
• baak = ancient; old
• bado = clothes; outfit; shirt
• bagi = one's body; ownership
• balitok = gold
• balong = same as baro
• bangles = spoiled food
• (i/bag)baga = (to) tell/speak
• bagtit/mauyong = crazy/bad word in Ilokano, drunk person, meager
• baket = old woman
• balasang = young female/lass
• balatong = mung beans
• balay = house
• balong = infant/child
• bangsit = stink/unpleasant/spoiled
• baro = young male/lad
• basa = study; read
• basang = same as balasang
• bassit = few, small, tiny
• basol = fault, wrongdoing, sin
• baut = spank
• bayag = slow
• baybay = sea; bay
• binting = 25 cents/quarter
• buneng = bladed tool / sword
• dadael = destroy/ruin
• dakes = bad
• dakkel = big; large; huge
• (ma)damdama = later
• danon = to arrive at
• danug = punch
• diding/taleb/pader = wall
• dumanon = come
• gastos = spend
• ganus = unripe
• gasut = hundred
• gaw-at = reach
• (ag) gawid = go home
• giddan = simultaneous
• gur-ruod = thunder
• haan/saan/aan = no
• iggem = holding
• ikkan = to give
• inipis = cards
• intun bigat/intuno bigat = tomorrow
• kaanakan = niece / nephew
• kabalio = horse
• kabarbaro = new
• kabatiti = loofah
• kabsat/kabagis = sibling
• kallub = cover
• kanayon = always
• karruba = neighbor
• katawa = laugh
• katkatawa = is laughing
• kayat = want
• kayo = wood
• kayumanggi-kunig = yellowish brown
• kiaw/amarilio = yellow (as in the Castilian Spanish pronunciation)
• kibin = hold hands
• kigtut = startle
• kimat = lightning
• kuddot/keddel = pinch
• kumá = hoping for
• ina/inang/nanang = mother
• lastog = boast/arrogant
• lag-an = light/not heavy
• laeng = only, just
• laing/sirib = intelligence
• lawa = wide
• lugan = vehicle
• madi = hate/unable
• manang = older sister or relative; can also be applied to women a little older than the speaker
• mano = how many/how much
• manong = older brother or relative; can also be applied to men a little older than the speaker
• mare/kumare = female friend/mother
• met = also, too
• obra = work (Northern dialect)
• naimbag nga agsapa = good morning
• naapgad = salty
• nagasang, naadat = spicy
• (na)pintas = beautiful/pretty (woman)
• (na)ngato = high/above/up
• panaw = leave
• kompadre/pare = close male friend
• padi = priest
• (na)peggad = danger(ous)
• (ag)perdi = (to) break/ruin/damage
• pigis= tear
• pigsa = strength; strong
• piman = little one
• pimmusay(en) = died; passed away
• pungtot = wrath
• puon = root
• pustaan = bet, wager
• ridaw/bintana = window/s
• riing = wake up
• rigat = hardship
• rugi = start; beginning
• rugit = dirt/not clean
• ruot = weed/s
• rupa = face
• ruar = outside; out
• sagad = broom
• sala = dance
• sang-gol = arm wrestling
• sapul/birok = find; need; search
• (na)sakit = (it) hurts
• sida = noun for fish, main dish, side dish, viand
• siit = fish bone/thorn
• (na)singpet = kind/obedient
• suli = corner
• (ag)surat = (to) write
• tabbed/muno = dumb
• tadem = sharpness (use for tools)
• takaw = steal
• takrot/tarkok = coward/afraid
• tangken = hard (texture)
• tarong = eggplant
• tinnag = fall down
• (ag)tokar = to play music or a musical instrument
• torpe = rude; stupid
• tudo = rain
• (ag)tugaw = (to) sit
• tugawan = anything to sit on
• tugaw = chair; seat
• tuno = grill
• (na)tawid = inherit(ed); heritage
• ubing = kid; baby; child
• umay = to come; welcome
• unay = very much
• uliteg/tio = uncle
• uray = even though; wait
• uray siak met = me too; even I/me
• ulo = head
• upa = hen
• uston = stop it
• utong = string beans
• utot/daga = mouse/rat
• uttot = fart
• wen/wun = yes

Also of note is the yo-yo, probably named after the Ilocano word yóyo.

See also

• Ilocano grammar
• Ilocano numbers
• Ilocano particles
• Ilocano verb

References

• Rubino, Carl (1997). Ilocano Reference Grammar (PhD thesis). University of California, Santa Barbara.
• Rubino, Carl (2000). Ilocano Dictionary and Grammar: Ilocano-English, English-Ilocano. University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 0-8248-2088-6.
• Vanoverbergh, Morice (1955). Iloco Grammar. Baguio, Philippines: Catholic School Press/Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Mary.

External links

• The Online Ilokano Dictionary Project (TOIDP) – A free Ilokano dictionary application for people to utilize to overcome the language barriers existing between the English and Ilokano languages.
• Android Mobile Application - Ilokano Search – A free Android application that allows users to search our database of entries for Ilokano/English translations.
• iOS Mobile Application - Ilokano Search – A free iOS application that allows users to search our database of entries for Ilokano/English translations
• Tarabay iti Ortograpia ti Pagsasao nga Ilokano – A free ebook version of the Guide on the Orthography of the Ilokano Language developed by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) in consultation with various stakeholders in Ilokano language and culture and developed back in 2012 as a resource material for the implementation of the Department of Education's K-12 curriculum with the integration of MTB-MLE or Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education.
• Bansa.org Ilokano Dictionary Archived 14 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine
• Materials in Ilocano from Paradisec
• Ilokano Swadesh vocabulary list
• Ilocano: Ti pagsasao ti amianan – Webpage by linguist Dr. Carl R. Galvez Rubino, author of dictionaries on Iloko and Tagalog.
• Iluko.com popular Ilokano web portal featuring Ilokano songs, Iloko fiction and poetry, Ilokano riddles, and a lively Ilokano forum (Dap-ayan).
• mannurat.com blog of an Ilokano fictionist and poet written in Iloko and featuring original and Iloko fiction and poetry, literary analysis and criticism focused on Ilokano Literature, and literary news about Iloko writing and writers and organization like the GUMIL (Gunglo dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano).
• samtoy.blogspot.com Archived 1 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Yloco Blog maintained by Ilokano writers Raymundo Pascua Addun and Joel Manuel
• Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database
• dadapilan.com – an Iloko literature portal featuring Iloko works by Ilokano writers and forum for Iloko literary study, criticism and online workshop.
• Vocabularios de la Lengua Ilocana by N.P.S. Agustin, published in 1849.
• Tugot A blog maintained by Ilokano writer Jake Ilac.