English
Vigan
Vigan comes from Ilocano Bigaan, from biga ‘giant taro’, and ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *biʀaq.
- Proto-Malayo-Polynesianprehistoric (reconstructed)*biʀaqreconstructed
- Ilocanomodernbiga‘giant taro’
- Ilocano, derivedmodernBigaan
- Spanishc. 1500–presentVigan
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Malayo-Polynesianprehistoric (reconstructed)*biʀaqreconstructed
- Ilocanomodernbiga‘giant taro’
- Ilocano, derivedmodernBigaan
- Spanishc. 1500–presentVigan
- Englishtodaysame form
The story
Borrowed from Spanish Vigan, also spelled as Bigan in early maps like the Velarde map (1734), originally from Ilocano Bigaan, derived from biga (‘giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos)’) + -an (locative suffix), meaning "the place where giant taro abounds" possibly referring to the Alocasia macrorrhizos plants that once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River.
Every English word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *biʀaq
Today it means
name A city, the provincial capital of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Region, Luzon, Philippines.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *biʀaq / Vigan