Mini Igorot Dictionary

Note: This mini Igorot dictionary is based mainly from the Sagada people dialect; however, the words can also be understood in other places like Besao with minimal differences. Remember that it is not the same dialect used by other nearby places like in Bontok, Kalinga, Ifugao, Ibaloi, and others. The Sagada dialect is called Kankanaey which is also spoken in Kapangan, Buguias, and the Bago tribes of Ilocos region with differences in intonation and meanings of some words but more than enough to make communication with them.

Many Sagada words are also spoken in the lowlands and are readily understood. The purpose of this post therefore is to make your visit to the place more meaningful by using some of their dialect. And foremost is to preserve the dialect from extinction due to the arrival of many foreign dialects and language to the area causing the younger generations to forget their own. Thus, this post will be updated from time to time as more words will be added.

Guide to Pronunciation:

Ay – I or uy of the word buy
A – like a of the word guava or uy of the word Buy
E - like the e of the word mother
I – like i of the words Bit and Kit or ee of the word feet
O – like the oo of the word Boot
U – like oo of the word Noodle and Boot


Letters of the Igorot(Sagada) dialect:

A B C D E G H I K L M N O P (R) S T U W Y

The letter R was added in the later parts of the 20th century when the Ilocano dialect and English penetrated the Igorot language. The letter R of a word was originally pronounced with the letter L. For example, Garden = GaLdin. Only when they integrated Ilocano that the L slowly changed to R thus it became GaRdin. Today, however, many of the elders are still using L for letter R.

Pronunciation:
Only the letters A, E, I, O, U are pronounce differently compared to the English alphabet pronunciation. All the other letters are pronounced the same as in English.

A 
Afternoon - Masdem(N)
Anger - Liget
Angered - V. Nakaliget; Linmiget; limmiget
  In its superlative form: Kaliliget; Linmigeliget; Limmige-liget
Arm - Takiag (N) – Arm
Armpit - N. Bagay
Aroma - Bango; (of a burnt flesh) - Angilit
Attitude - Ugali

B
Baby - Adj. Engnga
Bachelor – (man)Bab-alo; Babbalo; (Woman) Balasang
Back (v) – Tauli
    Going back – Tumauli
Bad - Madi; Ngawi
Bad smell - Naangiso; Naagob
     Very bad smell - Men-angiso; Men-agob
Banana - N. Baat
Beard - omeng
Beautiful - Adv. Gawis
Best - Adv. Kagagawisan
Big - Adj.Dakdake
Bigger - Adj. Dakdakdake
Biggest - (Adj)Dakedake; Kadadake-an
Black - N. Ngitit
Blown - Adj. Indagem; Intayaw
Body  -  N.  Awak
Bottle – (N)Botilya; Boti
Bring -  Iyali
Bring down (a thing) - Ilayog
Bus - n. Bus; Bass
Buttock - N. Tip-oy
Buy - verb. Lumako


C
Calf - Bidkin(Antadaw/Tetep-an); Puspusso(Central Sagada)
Call - Ayagan (V)
Called - Naayagan; Called by - Inayagan
Car - N. Lugan
Carpenter – Kalapintilo
Cave - N.  Liang
Cloud – N. Libuo
Coffin - N. Koong
Cold - N. Tedek; Sekaw; Adj. Natedek
   Very cold - Adj. Mentedek; Mensekaw
   Feeling cold - Adj. Masmaskaw; Mamaskaw
   Felt cold - Adj. Naskaw
Companion - Gait
Come - V. Umali
Come here - V. Umali (ka) isna

D
Dance - N. Tayaw; V. Mentayaw Dangerous – Adj. Kaeegyat
Dawn - Adj. Tan-o
Day; sun - Agew (Noun)
Dead - Adj. Natey
Deep - Adj.  Adaem
Die - V. Matey
Dig  -  V. Kaoban
Direct - V. Itdo; Isulo Do - V. Ikkan
Do  -  V.  Ikkan
Dog - N. Aso
Doing - V. Ik-ikkan
Door - N. Segpan
Dying - Adj. Matmatey; Makamkamatey

E
Ear - N. Inga
Earth - N. Batawa; Lubong
Enough - Kedeng
Enraged - Adj. Nakaliget
Enter - V. Sumgep
Entered - V. Sinumgep
Entrance - Sumgepan
Exit - Balaan
Eye – N. Mata

F
Face - N. Angas; V. Sagangen
Facing - Adj. Sinasagang; Sasagangen
Father - N. Ama
Fear – Adj. Egyat
Fearful - Adj. Umeegyat
Find - V. Das-an; Edasan; Inapen; Men-inap
Finger - Gumot (N) (Plural – Gumgumot)

Name of each finger:

1.  Thumb - Pagpag-ama
2.  Forefinger - Padukyaw
3.  Middle finger - Pagawa
4.  Ring-finger - Sened
5.  Little finger - Pagpag-iking

Finish - V.  Kombosen; Pakombosen; Ikwas;  Makwas
Fire - Apoy
Fireplace (place to cook food usually made up of three stones and firewood is use) – Dalican
Flow - N. Ayus; V. Men-ayus; Umayus
Flowed - N. Nen-ayus
Flowing - V. Men-ay-ayus
Foot - Siki (N) - Foot

Forgetfulness - Kalido 

Forgot - Nakalidoan;  Nakalingkingan
Found - V. Dinas-an; inedasan; Ininapan; Inanapan; nadas-an
Freeze - V. Ipaskaw; Ipasekaw
Frightening – Adj. Kaeegyat
Front neck - N. Tenged
   Back of neck - Bagang

Front of foot(under) - Tapag


G
Garden - Galdin
Ghost - N. Anito
Give – V. Agtan
Giver - N. Men-at-ated
Giving - V. Men-at-ated
Glad - Adj. Nalagsak
Go - Umey
God - N. Kabunyan
Good – Gawis
     Very good (Adverb) – Gawi-gawis
        Umey ka! - You go!
        Umeyak – I go; I am going.
Going back - Tumauli
Go out - Bumala;
    Went out - P.Tense.  Bimmala
Grass – lugam; luot
Guide - N. Mangipangpango; Mangit-itdo

H
Hair – N. Buok
Hammer - N. Mantilyo
Hand – N. Ledeng
Happy - Adj. Nalagsak; Malagsakan
Happiness - Gasing
Head - N. O-o
Heat – N. Poos

Heel - Mukod  
Hello – Kumusta
Here - Adv. Isna
Hotel - Pante-e-an (N)
How are you? – Kumusta ka
House - Ba-ey; Kampo (N)
Home – Ba-ey; Kampo
Hunger - N. Uwat; V. Mauwat
Hungered - V. Nauwat
Hungry - Adj. Nauwat


I
Impossible - Adj. Kam-anoy
Inayan (Adverb) - Slang word which has no exact English term. However it means something like a prohibition to do something that is not “morally” good.   Ex. “ Inayan” to steal. (It is not good to steal.)
Is - Ay; Nan (Linking verb)
          Gawis AY agew – Beautiful day

J
Jar – Banga
Jaw – Padanga


K
Knee – Puweg
Know - Gintek; Ammo
Kick - Dayday


L
Laugh - N. Ammeng
Laughing - V. Men-am-ammeng
Left behind - Nataynan
Leg - Gulo (N)
Lie - N. Kampot; Lip(s) – Subil
Look - V.  Ilan


M
Made - Sinapo
Make - sapo; sumapo
Man - N. Lalaki

Massage - Kappos; Teme  
Mine(Possession; Ownership) – U’kak
Middle - Adj. Tenga
Morning - N. Wakgat(N)
Morning - N. Wakgat
Mother - N. Ina
Mouth - N. Tupek
Mud - N. Pitek

N
Name – Ayag; Ngadan (N)
Nape – Bagang
Never - Adv. Pulos
Night - Labi (N)
Nipa hut – Kalapaw;Kalkalapaw
None/Nothing – maid or mid
Noon - N. Kag-aw
Nose - N. E-eng
Now - Adv. Idwani

O
Old - Adj. Naeteng
  Old man - N. Am-ama
  Old Lady - N. In-ina
On top - Adj. Labaw
Over - Adj. Labaw


P
Pathway - Daan (N)
Person - Ipugaw (N) (Plural – Kaipu-ipugaw)
Pine tree - N. Saeng
Pity - N. Asi
Pitiful - Adj. Kaasi
Plant - N. Muwa; V. Men-esek
Planted - V. Nenmuwa; Nen-esek
Planting - V. Men-es-esek
Punch - Suntok; Disnog
      You punch - Sumuntok ka

R
Rain - N. Udan V. Umudan
Red - Adj. Gadangdang
Rest - Elleng; Inana
Reach - V. (To reach using one's hand)Gaw-aten; (To reach a destination) Umdan
Reached - V. (by the used of a hand) Ginaw-at; (Arriving at a destination) Inumdan
Refrigerator - N. Paskawan
Rice – N. Pagey; Bagas
Rice field - N. Kapageyan
River - N. Ginawang
Road - N. Kalsa
Run – V. Tumagtag
          Running – Tumagtagtag
          You run! - Tumagtag ka!

S
Said - Nakwani
Said by - Kinwani
Saw - V. Inila

Scalp - Kullop
Scapula - N. Bakbakkong
School - N. Oskilaan
Seen - inila

Shoulder - Puke  
Sleep - N. Seyep; V. Maseyep
Sleeping - V. Maseseyep
Small - Adj. Aptik
Smaller - Adj. Ap-aptik
Smallest - Adj. Kaa-aptikan; Kaaatikan
Smile - N. Ngis-il
Soil – N. Luta
Spine - N. Dulig;  Tigtigi
Stone - N. Bato
Stonewall - N. Tuping
Street - N. Kalsa
Student - N. Oskila






T
Talk - Kali’ (Noun)
Talking with - Makitoytoya; Makikalkali
Thank - V. Men-iyaman
Thanks - N. Iyaman
Thank you - Exclamation Sing. Iyaman kenka; Plural Iyaman kadakayo
Teach - V. Itdo; Isulo
Teacher – N. Men-isulsulo
  Female teacher – Mistala
  Male teacher - Mistolo
Technique - Pamuspusan
Thigh - Upo
There is - Wada
There – Isdi
Tired - Adj. Nabbay
Tooth/Teeth - N. Bab-a
Tree – N. Ka-iw
To be angry - V. Makaliget
To buy - Lumako
To die - Matey
To laugh - V. Men-ammeng
To leave behind - Taynan
To go - Umey
To laugh (V)- Men-ammeng
To kick v - daydayan
To rest - Umelleng, Men-inana
To see - Ilaen
To smile - Menngis-il (Verb)
To speak with - Makitoya
To talk - Menkali (Verb)
To visit - Pasyalen
To walk - Mendaan (V)


U
Ugly - As-asi
Umbrella - Payong
Under - Adv. Silok

Underarm - Bagay  


V
very good - Gawi-gawis (Adverb
                   To greet someone using the word gawis(Addressing one particular person): Gawis ay
                    agew mo/ken sik-a. - Beautiful day to you;  Gawi-gawis ay agew mo = A very beautiful
                    day to you.
Very ugly - Asi-asi
Visitor – N. Bisita
Visitors – N. Bibisita; Ado ay bisita
Visit – V. Pasyalen; N. Pasyal


W
Wait - V. Awni;
Wait longer - Aw-awni
Waste - Basula; Basura
Water - Danum (N)
Way – Daan; Pamuspusan
What – Sino?
What is that? - sino sa?
We  -  Datako
Wedding – Boda; Dawak; Kasal
When – Tungo?; Tungo na?; Tungon di?
Where - Into
Where is the way?– Into nan daan?
White - Pulaw; Very white - Menpulaw
Who – Sino?
Wind - N. Dagem
Wood – sunglod
Woods - Kabakilan


Y
You – Pronoun Singular Sik-a; Plural Dakayo
You look - Sing.  Ilaem; Ilam; Plural Ilaenyo; Ilanyo
Young - Adj. Unga; (-er) Ung-unga;
Yours - Singular Ukam; Plural Ukayo