Hiligaynon, also known as Ilonggo, is spoken by about nine million people. It is primarily used in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Communities in Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, and Capiz predominantly speak Hiligaynon. It is also spoken in parts of Mindanao, such as South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, where there are significant Hiligaynon-speaking populations.
Traditionally, Hiligaynon was written using the Baybayin script, a pre-colonial writing system of the Philippines. However, with the arrival of Spanish colonization, the use of Baybayin declined, and the Roman alphabet became the standard writing system for Hiligaynon. Today, Hiligaynon is written in this alphabet, which has facilitated its use in education, media, and literature.
The adoption of the Roman alphabet has provided a standardized writing system for Hiligaynon, enabling the production of books, newspapers, and digital content in the language. Efforts are also underway to preserve and promote awareness of the Baybayin script as part of cultural heritage initiatives in the Philippines.
In terms of grammar, Hiligaynon follows a verb-subject-object (VSO) word order, which is common among Philippine languages, although subject-verb-object (SVO) is also used in casual speech. Words in Hiligaynon are formed through affixation, where prefixes, infixes, and suffixes are added to root words to indicate various grammatical functions such as tense, aspect, mood, and voice.
The vocabulary of Hiligaynon has been influenced by various languages and cultures throughout its history. It has borrowed words from Spanish, Malay, Chinese, and English, among others, reflecting the rich cultural and historical interactions in the region.
Our online English to Hiligaynon translation tool is powered by Google API. As it is still in its early development, translations may lack complete accuracy. For precise communication, especially with complex sentences or specialised content, professional translation services are recommended.