…You Refer to the Different Philippine Languages as Dialects

A lot of Filipinos often refer to the different languages in the Philippines as dialects. It is, after all, what we were taught in school when we were too young to understand complicated technical concepts in linguistics.

There are over 170 languages in the Philippines and almost all of which belong to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family. According to Ethnologue, a total of 171 native languages are spoken in the country. Other non-austronesian languages include English, Spanish, Hokkien, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Chabacano.

There are twelve main native languages spoken in the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Bikol, Waray-Waray, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Maranao, Maguindanao, Kinaray-a, and Tausug. Each of these languages have over one million native speakers.

There are three major classifications of the Philippine language: the Northern Philippine languages (ex. Ilokano, Kapampangan, and Pangasinan), the Meso Philippine languages (ex. Tagalog, Bikol and Visayang languages–Cebuano, HIligaynon, Waray), and the Southern Philippine languages (ex. Maranao, Maguindanao and Manobo). Other classifications include the Southern Mindanao languages (ex. Tboli and Balaan), the Sama-Bajaw (ex. Abaknon, Yakan and Sama), and the Sulawesi languages (Sangil and Sangir).

* Philippine Language Tree by Carl Rubino