Ilocano people

The Ilocano people (Ilocano: Tattáo nga Ilóko, Kailukuán, Kailukanuán), also referred to as Ilokáno, Ilóko, Ilúko, or Samtóy, are an Austronesian ethnolinguistic group native to the Philippines. Originally from the Ilocos Region on the northwestern coast of Luzon, they have since spread throughout northern and central Luzon, particularly in the Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the northern and western areas of Central Luzon. The Ilocanos constitute the third-largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines. Their native language is called Iloco or Iloko.

Beyond the northern Luzon, large Ilocano populations are found in Metro Manila, Mindoro, Palawan, and Mindanao, as well as in the United States, particularly in Hawaii and California, owing to extensive Ilocano migration in the 19th and 20th centuries. Ilocano culture reflects a blend of Roman Catholic influences and pre-colonial animist-polytheistic traditions, shaped by their agricultural lifestyle and strong family-communal ties.

Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, the Ilocanos referred to themselves as "Samtoy," a contraction of "sao mi ditoy" Ilocano words that mean "our language."

The term "Ilocáno" (also spelled "Ilokáno") is the Hispanized plural form of "Ilóco" or "Ilóko," with the archaic Spanish rendering "Ylóco." It is derived from the combination of the prefix i- (meaning "of" or "from") and luék, luëk, or loóc (meaning "sea" or "bay") in the Ilocano language, translating to "from the bay." This reflects the geographical origin of the Ilocano people, whose early settlements were located near coastal regions and bays. Therefore, "Ilocano" denotes the people from the bay.

An alternative etymological explanation links the term to lúku or lúkung, which refers to flatlands, valleys, or depressions in the land. This suggests that the term "Ilocano" originally denoted "people of the lowlands," referring to inhabitants of areas situated between the gúlot or gúlod (mountains) and the luék (sea or bay).

The name "Ylocano" or "Ilocano" is the Hispanized version of the native term "Ilúko." It follows the grammatical structure of Spanish by appending the suffix -ano to denote a people or group, as seen in terms like Americano, Africano, and Mexicano. This adaptation signifies the race or identity of the Ilocano people according to the colonizer's linguistic conventions.

One effect of the Spanish language on the demonym is the introduction of grammatical gender. "Ilocano" or "Ilokano" typically refers to males, while "Ilocana" or "Ilokana" is used for females. However, "Ilocano" is generally considered gender-neutral and can be applied to individuals of either gender.

The Ilocano people are one of the Austronesian peoples of Northern Luzon who migrated southward through the Philippines thousands of years ago using wooden boats known as biray or bilog for trade and cargo. The prevailing theory regarding the dispersal of Austronesian peoples is the "Out of Taiwan" hypothesis, which suggests that Neolithic-era migrations from Taiwan led to the emergence of the ancestors of contemporary Austronesian populations.