Transcript
187 Languages
Depending on classification method, there are 120 to 187 languages and dialects in the Philippines. Whatever the number, that’s a lot!
- Most are Malayo-Polynesian languages.
- FOr more than 300 years until the early 20th century, Spanish was the official language. Many of its words and expressions are still in common use today.
Based on Tagalog, Filipino is the national language.
The languages are distributed regionally, even topographically, throughout the country’s thousands of islands, with some more widely used and adopted than others.
The lesser dialects are often linked to the many communities of ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples.
Examples of Popular Philippine Languages and Dialects
- Bicolano
- Bisaya
- Cebuano
- Hiligaynon
- Ilocano
- Tagalog
- Tausog
- Waray
