|
ORIGIN
OF NAMES OF THE PHILIPPINES, PROVINCES, CITIES & OTHER PLACES
- Abra -
abrir, a Spanish term which means opening
- Antipolo
City - antipolo, a tree that used to abound in the area
- Agusan -
agusan, a Tagalog term referring to a spot where water flows
- Aklan -
from Akean River
- Albay -
albaybay, a Bicolano term meaning by the bay
- Angeles
City - Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda
- Antique -
hantic or large ants
- Apayao -
apayaw, a native word for negotiable river
- Aurora -
Maria Aurora Quezon, wife of former President Manuel Quezon
- Babuyan
Island - babuyan, which refers to a place where pigs are kept
- Bacolod
City - buklod, referring to a hilly terrain
- Bago City
- bago, a large tree in the area
- Baguio
City - bigjiw, an Igorot term for a moss
- Balagtas,
Bulacan - Francisco Balagtas
- Balanga,
Bataan - balanga, referring to a cooking pot
- Baliuag,
Bulacan - maliway, an adjective meaning tardy
- Basilan -
basilan, which means iron trail
- Batanes -
Ivatan, the natives of the area
- Batangas -
batang, or huge logs
- Benguet -
benget, a Nabaloy term meaning head scarf
- Biliran
-biliran, a native grass used for weaving mats
- Bohol -
bool, a village in Tagbilaran City
- Bulacan -
bulak or cotton
- Bukidnon -
bukidnon, referring to the people of the mountain
- Butuan
City - butuan, a sour fruit in the area
- Cadiz City
- named after Cadiz, Spain
- Cagayan -
carayan, an Ilocano word for river
- Cagayan de
Oro City - kalambaguhan, evolved from the word lambago, a type of tree
- Calamba,
Laguna - kalamba, a wide-mouth earthen jar
- Calumpit,
Bulacan - kalumpit, the name of trees, which used to abound in the area
- Caloocan
City - look, meaning interior
- Camarines
- camarine, a Spanish term for granary
- Camuigin -
kamagong, a tree of the ebony family
- Capiz -
kapis, a Visayan term for pearl shells
- Caraga -
caraga, or inhabitants of the area
- Catanduanes
- named after Catandungan river, along whose banks tando trees used to
abound
- Cavite -
kawit or hook
- Cebu -
sugbu
- Cotabato -
kuta bato, or a stone fort
- Dagupan
City - nandaragupan, meaning where once stood a commercial center
- Dapitan
City - dapit, a Cebuano term meaning to invite
- Davao City
- daba-daba, a native term for mythical figures
- Dumaguete
City - managuit, a Cebuano term meaning to capture
- EDSA -
Epifanio delos Santos Avenue
- Guimaras -
himal-us, as local inhabitants called the place in the pre-Spanish
period
- Hagonoy,
Bulacan - hagonoy, the name of a weed that used to abound in the area
- Hermosa,
Bataan - hermosa, a Spanish word for beautiful
- Ifugao -
pugo, which means hills
- Ilocos -
loco, a Malay term for lowland
- Iloilo -
ilong or nose
- Isabela -
Queen Isabela of Spain
- Kalinga -
kalinga, a native word for headhunters
- Lanao -
lanaw, a term referring to the people of the lake
- Laguna -
la laguna, meaning the lake
- Laoag City
- iluag, meaning clear or light
- La Union -
from the Spanish term union
- Legazpi
City - Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
- Leyte -
hiraite, the name of the place formerly known as Ete
- Lucena
City - named after the town of Lucena in Andalucia, Spain
- Luzon - lu
zung, a Chinese phrase meaning a far away land
- Makati
City - makati na, meaning the tide is ebbing
- Maguindanao
- danao, or flood
- Malacanang
Palace - may lakan diyan, meaning there lives a gentleman or the
Spanish words mala cana (bad sugarcane)
- Mandaluyong
City - may daluyong, meaning where big waves roll
- Manila -
may nilad, a phrase referring to a spot where nilad grows.
- Marinduque
- Marina and Garduke, a legendary couple
- Masbate -
masa bati, which means mix and beat as in making bread
- Mayon
Volcano - magayon, a Bicolano term for beautiful
- Meycauayan
- may kawayan, which refers to a place where bamboos grow
- Mindoro -
mina de oro, or gold mine
- Misamis -
kuyamis, referring to sweet coconut
- Mountain
Province - mountain
- Mount
Makiling - Mariang Makiling, a legendary name
- Mount
Pinatubo - pinatubo, a term meaning left to grow
- Muntinlupa
City - monted de lupa, a vernacular phrase meaning hills
- Naga City
- naga, a Bicolano term for narra tree
- Negros -
negros, a Spanish term for black people
- Norzagaray,
Bulacan - Governor General Fernando Norzagaray
- Nueva
Vizcaya - a Spanish phrase meaning New Biscayne
- Pagsanjan,
Laguna - pinagsangahan, or where the river branched out
- Palawan -
palan yu, a Chinese phrase for beautiful harbor
- Palayan
City - palayan, or rice field
- Pampanga -
pampang, which means riverbank
- Pangasinan
- asin, which means salt
- Panay -
pan hay, a Spanish word
- Paranaque
City - para aqui, a Spanish phrase meaning stop here
- Pasay City
- paso hay, a Spanish phrase meaning there is a pass
- Pasig
River - passi, probably evolved from the word mabagsik, meaning violent
in force
- Pateros -
pato, meaning duck
- Philippines
- Philip II of Spain
- Plaridel,
Bulacan - Marcelo del Pilar
- Pulilan,
Bulacan - pulo ng ulan, meaning island of rain
- Quezon
City - Manuel L. Quezon
- Quiapo,
Manila - kiyapo, a cabbage-like weed
- Quirino -
Elpidio Quirino
- Rizal -
Jose Rizal
- Romblon -
lomlon or donblon
- Samar -
zamal
- Sarangani
- sangir, the language spoken by inhabitants of Sarangani Island
- Silliman
University - Dr. Horace Brinsmade Silliman, a philanthropist from New
York
- Siquijor -
quipjod, a native term that means the tide is ebbing
- Sorsogon -
solsogon, a Bicolano term meaning to follow the river
- Sultan
Kudarat - Sultan Kudarat, a Muslim ruler in the 17th Century
- Sulu -
sug, meaning water current
- Surigao -
saliagao, a native term meaning to grab
- Tarlac -
tarlac, an Aeta word which refers to a weed
- Tagaytay
City - taga itay, two words which mean cut and father
- Tawi-Tawi
- jaui jaui, evolved from the Malay term jau that means far
- Tuguegarao
City - tuggui gari yaw, an Ibanag phrase meaning it used to be fire
- Valenzuela
City - Pio Valenzuela
- Visayas -
Bisayas, or the name of the people in the area
- Zambales -
zambals, or the name of the inhabitants in the area
- Zamboanga
-samboangan, evolved from the local term sabuan, which refers to a
wooden pole
.
|
|
Search
for www.pinas.com
