Variations in Ilokano

As most of you know the Philippines is home to over 150 languages. Officially called dialects, but lets not fool ourselves. Within these languages exist true dialects that differ from area to area. Such is true with Ilokano.

Just looking at the books I referenced in one of my earlier you can see that they are using 2 different sets of Ilokano. "Let's Speak Ilocano" uses a more modern version of Ilokano that is easier understood by those who have a greater exposure to Tagalog. Whereas "Ilocano: Ilocano-English..." reflects more of what is generally referred to as "deep" Ilokano or that found primarily in the Ilocos Region.

This difference can cause some trouble with a new Ilokano learner. So what one must do is determine with whom you plan on speaking. If it is family from Pangasinan or friends in Hawaii than the more modern will get you by just fine. If instead it is family in the mountains of Abra then it would be better to focus on "deep" Ilokano.

So what are these differences? Some are in pronunciation of letters, other are differences in complete words or phrases. Examples are:

Letter E- in deep Ilokano the letter "e" is pronounced deep in the throat. Giving it almost a deep "Uh" sound.

Letter K- I have found that my family tends to pronounce the letter K from the back of the throat to the point it almost becomes silent. Yet other Ilokanos that I know do not stress "K" this way. I suggest listening to those you are going to talk to and mimic their pronunciation.

As for words, there are too many to name. "Let's Speak Ilocano" translates the word "dadakkel" as "parents". To the average Ilokano speaker "dadakkel" translates to "really big." My family had never heard dadakkel used in reference to parents.

The main crux of this post was just to make you aware that there will be differences in Ilokano. From barangay to barangay, province to province the language will shift. It is my hope that these tips on here will help give you a better understanding of the language no matter where or with who you speak.

Ilokano Radio

A great aid in learning any language is the ability to hear native speakers. While singing is not the same as speaking it is still a valuable resource.

At Iluko.com they have a link to Iluko Radio.

Just go to their site and look for the yellow "Tune In" button underneath where it says "ILUKO.COM RADIO" on the right side of the page.



Click on the yellow button and it should launch. On my computer it opens the Dell Jukebox by Musicmatch, but should be compatible with Yahoo Music Jukebox.

Most of the songs are not what you will find on the Billboard 100, in fact many have a certain "Air Supply" feeling to them. But if you are serious about learning Ilokano then you cannot pass up this resource. I like having it playing in the background when I am doing other work, just to get used to the sound of the language.

Getting Started

Updates to this post will be at the bottom.

If you are like me your decision to learn Ilokano wasn't without some reservation. A quick search of the internet reveals very limited resources. So I will point out the resources I have found.

First there are several books I highly suggest getting.

How To Learn Any Language: Quickly, Easily, Inexpensively, Enjoyably and on Your Own
- Long title, great book. Following the tips laid out by Barry Farber will greatly increase your learning

Let's Speak Ilokano
- Excellent book for getting started. Has a great layout and conforms perfectly with the book above's guidelines

Intermediate Ilokano: An Integrated Language and Culture Text
- Follow up book to Let's Speak Ilokano. Follows the same format.

Ilocano: Ilocano-English/English-Ilocano Dictionary and Phrasebook
- The version of Ilokano is different than in the previous book, but still a good resource for finding words. Though there is no Ilokano-English dictionary as it says. I think there is more complete version of this book, but I have been unable to find it.

After the books another great resource is Ilokano websites. There are 2 I frequent, and offer a good mix of English and Ilokano.

Ilocano.org - Forum that can get you in contact with many native speakers as well as others learning such as yourself.

Iluko.com - Many articles written in Ilokano, as well as a forum.

Next I would suggest finding some Ilokano music. It is hard to find, but it is out there. Noel Cabangon has a few including one of my favorites Panawenen. When I come across full albums I will be sure to post a link.

Lastly, your best resource will be people. I'm guessing if you are wanting to learn Ilokano, you already know somebody who speaks it. Ask them questions, they can help you out more than any book or website can hope to. Plus they can help with pronunciation which is something I cannot help with much. If you do not have the luxury of someone nearby who speaks Ilokano, try asking the local Filipino store for help.

Best of luck my friends. I hope this helps.

Updates:

I stumbled across a new resource which should provide plenty of reading for the aspiring Ilokano Learner. Umuna a Panid aka Wikipedia in Ilokano Good for reading a little history but also testing out your knowledge of the vocabulary.

Ilokano Radio. Check out my post for more information

All the above mentioned books are now available from our Affiliate store.

Welcome

As the title shows this is a site dedicated to learning Ilokano. I am learning, and I hope to put information on here to assist others. In addition to the Ilokano language I will also cover some news from the Philippines.

Thanks for coming by.