Philippines Languages

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Philippines

Languages

Description[edit | edit source]

Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines.
Both Filipino and English are used in government, education, print, broadcast media, and business.
Filipino is a standardized version of Tagalog, spoken mainly in Metro Manila. ^[1]

A total of 182 native languages are spoken in the Philippines and four languages have been classified as extinct.
There are 4 indigenous languages with approximately 9 million or more native speakers:

Tagalog language
Cebuano language - also known as Bisaya or Binisaya
Ilocano language - also known as Ilokano
Hiligaynon language - also known as Ilonggo

Plus an additional 10 indigenous languages with 1 million to 3 million native speakers:

Waray language - also known as Waray-Waray or Bisaya/Binisaya nga Winaray/Waray
Bikol language - also known as Central Bikol or Bikol Naga
Kapampangan language
Pangasinan language
Maranao language
Tausug language
Maguindanao language - also known as Maguindanaon
Chavacano language - also known as Chabacano
Karay-a language
Surigaonon language

Word List(s)[edit | edit source]

Violetta Lorenzana, Pilipino (Tagalog) phrasebook, Hawthorn, Vic, Australia ; Oakland, CA : Lonely Planet Publications, 1998 - Available at WorldCat

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Alphabet

Pronunciation

Language Aids and Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Dictionaries

Filipino (Tagalog) phrasebook & dictionary, Footscray : Lonely Planet, 2014 - Available at WorldCat
Jose Villa Panganiban, Concise English Tagalog dictionary, Boston Mass. : Tuttle, 2002 - Available at WorldCat
John C Rigdon, English - Cebuano dictionary, Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources; 2017 - Available at WorldCat
Mario Tungol, Alfredo Arguluan & Myrna G Corporal, Modern English-Pilipino Ilocano dictionary, Manila, Philippines : Merriam & Webster, 1986 - Available at WorldCat
Cecile L Motus, Hiligaynon dictionary, Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 1971 - Available at WorldCat

Online Dictionaries

Language Aids

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

Most pre-1900 genealogical material is written in Spanish, although you will also occasionally find records in Latin, French, Dutch, or Hebrew. You do not need to be fluent in Spanish to research Philippine records. Language aids can give you the language information you need.

For word lists and help researching in Philippine records, see:

Spanish Records Extraction: An Instruction Guide. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981. (FHL book 980 D27s; fiche 6089702.)

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Philippines," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines#:~:text=Languages, accessed 11 Apr 2022.

[1] Wikipedia contributors, "Philippines," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines#:~:text=Languages, accessed 11 Apr 2022.

[1]