Etymograph

English

Pinoy

Pinoy comes from Tagalog Pinoy ‘a Filipino’, from Ancient Greek ἵππος ‘a horse, (feminine) a mare’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *HéHḱus ‘swift, quick’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*HéHḱus‘swift, quick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éḱwos‘stallion, horse’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*íkkʷos‘horse’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἵπποςhíppos‘a horse, (feminine) a mare’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΦίλιπποςPhílippos
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPhilippus
  7. Spanishc. 1500–presentFelipe
  8. Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentfilipino
  9. TagalogmodernPilipino‘Filipino’
  10. Tagalog, derivedmodernPinoy‘a Filipino’clipping of Pilipino
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1999same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*HéHḱus‘swift, quick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éḱwos‘stallion, horse’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*íkkʷos‘horse’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἵπποςhíppos‘a horse, (feminine) a mare’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΦίλιπποςPhílippos
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPhilippus
  7. Spanishc. 1500–presentFelipe
  8. Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentfilipino
  9. TagalogmodernPilipino‘Filipino’
  10. Tagalog, derivedmodernPinoy‘a Filipino’clipping of Pilipino
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1999same form

Earliest quotation: 1999, Barbara M. Posadas, The Filipino Americans: “It has been said that whenever two Pinoys had…”

The story

Pinoy caught on with the Florante song “Ako'y isang Pinoy” ("I am a Pinoy"), which became popular in Filipino culture to denote their country of origin and background. This term was first used and popularized by Filipino immigrants to the United States before it came into general mainstream use.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos ‘stallion, horse’

zebra, equestrian, equine, 12 more

Today it means

noun A Filipino; a citizen or local inhabitant of the Philippines and those descending from such, especially a male.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *HéHḱus / Pinoy

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