ABSTRACT
Iloko (Ilocano, Ilokano, Iluko, Samtoy), the language of the Ilocano people, is spoken by nine million people in northwest Luzon Island. It is the third largest language in the Philippines after Tagalog (the basis of the Philippine national language Pilipino) and Cebuano (Sugbuhanon). It is a member of the Cordilleran language family of Northern Philippine languages. Within the family, it forms its own branch and has no close relatives, but does share certain syntactic and lexical affinities with the Itneg languages of Abra, shared by borrowing rather than direct genetic relationship. Other Cordilleran languages include: the Alta branch which includes Baler Dumagat, the South Cordilleran languages of Kallahan, Ibaloi, Pangasinan, and Ilongot; the Central Cordilleran languages of Isinai, Ifugao, Balangao, Bontok, Kankanay, Kalinga, and Itneg; Arta; and the Northern Cordilleran languages which can be subdivided into the Cagayan Valley languages of Gaddang, Itawis, Agta, Ibanag, Atta, Yogad, and Isneg, and the North East Luzon branch which comprises Paranan and Casiguran Dumagat (Reid 1989, 1991, R. Himes, p. c.).
