The kayabang and the apid

The Kayabang is the pyramid-shaped bamboo basket that is used by the traditional woman of Benguet province. The Kayabang is carried through the back after it is anchored on the head through an accessory called the Apid. The Benguet women of the earlier period would go to the farm with the basket in the morning and they would be back home with the basket filled with gathered sweet potatoes and other vegetables in the afternoon. The same basket is used to bring goods to and from the trading  centers usually during Sundays.  Nowadays, it seems the basket is left only for souvenirs or exhibits.

Dapan, mokod, padanga, toktok

Dapan is the Kankana-ey word for toe.
Mokod is the Kankana-ey word for knee.
Padanga is the Kankana-ey word for shoulder.
Toktok is the Kankana-ey word for head.

bugaw ( or begaw) as a Kankana-ey word means shout or yell.

I pity my Kankana-ey mom,who does not speak and understand Tagalog, as she was having a hard time comprehending the news aired thru TV. The TV news reporter was mentioning about "pambubugaw ng mga menor de edad". Of course, bugaw as a Tagalog word has to do with prostitution while my mom, obviously, has in mind the Kankana-ey concept of Bugaw.

Man-ga-te is the Kankana-ey word for itchy.

Etek (synonym: lastog, to-og, bungag)

Etek is the Kankana-ey dialect word for lie. lastog in Kankana-ey is a synonym of Etek.
Etek mo. = you are lying = lastog mo.

In a Kankana-ey dialect (i.e. Kapangan Kankana-ey), to-og is the word for lie.
Other Kankana-ey speakers would use the word bungag to mean lie.

Legleg is the Kankana-ey term for the muddy sulfuric soil that are sparingly found in different portions of the mounatains.

During the early time when bar soaps are luxurious item for the natives of Benguet, they used the "legleg" as an alternative to washing soap. It's part of the wonders of nature to find such resource in limited amount within each community.

olug (also olugan) is a Kankana-ey words that means meaning.

Sinoy(what is) olug(meaning) nisa(of that)?(What is the meaning of that?)

Sinoy(what is) olugan(meaning) di (of) kankananda(they are saying)? (What is the meaning of what they are saying?)

Ba-ang-ngan is Kankana-ey word for lawn or backyard or a garden area around a house.

related terms:
nangapit-tongdo = upper part of an area
nangapit-guwab = lower part of an area

Moyang is a Kankana-ey word that means baby.

moyang (singular)refers to a very young girl or boy.
momoyang (plural) refers to young children.

Farming routine practices of Benguet farmers (On manual basis)

***Cabbage Seedlings should be cultivated before hand and it takes about 2 months(manbonobon). Potato tubers are prepared indoors for about 5 months.


1. manlugam/mansalapsap = clear terraces of weeds and grasses. Pile the removed grasses at the upper edges of the terraces.

2. mankama = create beds by digging the soil and forming evenly spaced bed-like formations.

3. mankuwele/mankusit = create holes over the beds of soil or create a canal-like holes over the beds of soil.

4. manpe-ey si abuno/mankiwal si abuno = distribute chicken dung fertilizers inside the holes borne over the beds of soil. Mixed the soil and fertilizer.

5. man-esek = plant the chosen vegetables in the fertilized holes

6. man-lugam = remove intervening weeds and grasses while planted seeds/seedlings are developing.

7. mansalado = Apply fertilizers around the root areas and cover the fertilizers with soil.

*** manbomba= apply insecticides/pesticides time and again as needed while the plants are growing.

5. man-kulta = harvest green leafy vegetables lije cabbages/ lettuce/cauliflower after about 3 months.

    mankali = harvest potato crop after about 3 months

     mangabot = harvest carrot rootcrops or radish

      manbolas = harvest fruits of fruit bearing vegetables like sweet peas.

Annawa (pronounced with the stress over An) is a Kankana-ey word that means wide.

An'nawa(Kankana-ey)=wide
Nalawa(Ilokano) = wide
Malawak(Tagalog) = wide

Saint Louis University, Maryheights Campus, Bakakeng Norte, Baguio City

The Maryheights Campus of Saint Louis University in Baguio City, Philippines houses the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing and Information Studies(SAMCIS). Before school year 2017-2018, The campus campus was exclusively hoysing the School of Accountancy and Business Management(SABM). Due to result utilization concerns, the university administrators brought the School of Information and Computing Sciences (SCIS) from the main campus (Bonifacio Street Campus in the central business distric of Baguio City) to the Maryheights campus.  During school year 2018-2019, the university administrators merged the two schools, thereby naming the school SAMCIS.

gumiginek is Kankana-ey word for keeping silent

Gumiginek ka mo? = Quiet you why? = What is keeping you quiet?

Kaginak da. = They stopped talking.

Ngalawngaw = Kankana-ey word for noisy

Ngalawngaw di aanak sin bitawan di eskuwelaan da = "noisy the kids out the ground school their" =  The children are noisy outside their school.

Ngalawngaw danan kalugan ko= Noisy these riding me. My ride-mates are noisy.

Kankana-ey Time Terminologies

Gabis = Before Dawn
Agsapa = Morning
Masdem = Afternoon
Labi = Night
Ed nasdem = yesterday
Ed kogaban = The day before yesterday
Si bigat = Tomorrow
Si loman = Day after tomorrow

Madagsen is the Kankana-ey word for heavy.

Madagsen san egen mo. = What you are carrying is heavy.
Mandagsen = madagsen.
Adi mabalin ay bidkingen tan madagsen = It cannot be carried by hand (or lifted up) because it is heavy.
Kapasan ka tan say = Carry it through your shoulder because it is heavy.

"Namuna" is a Kankana-ey word for "more than expected"

Namuna din nakdeng ay obla = work done is more than what is expected.

Na-abus is a Kankana-ey word for depleted, nothing is left.

Na-abus di pilak = No more money
Na-abus di pasensiya = No more patience
Na-abus di "agew" = no more "days=time"

Count 1 to 10 in Kankana-ey

1=esa
2=duwa
3=tolu
4=opat
5=lima
6=enem
7=pito
8=wa-o
9=siyam
10=simpo

statements of frustrations/insufficiency on counts:

(o)wat es-esa = only 1
(o)wat du-duwa = only 2
(o)wat tot-tolu = only 3
...
(o)wat sim-simpo = only 10

Lampitok is a character in a locally, cordillera locality, animation film.

I was once asked "What/Who is Lampitok?"
I cannot give a perfect answer but I heard from my kiddie kins that Lampitok is a name of a character in a locally produced animation film. They were uttering a line which is something like "Ay enayan ito" which I understand is a remark that Lampitok once in a while states in the film.
"Ay enayan ito" is a fusion of the Kankanaey "ay enayan" and the Tagalog "ito". Figuratively, since the remark is address to someone in a scene, "ay enayan ito" translates to "you are not doing it carefully" or "you are not being cautious".

Valentines with nature

A few months ago, after using the soft elements of some sweet potato tops for a nutritious meal, I planted a few remaining stalks in a simple ornamental flower pot. On Valentine's day, here's how the plant greeted me. The ants are even saying, "you're so sweet".

Nankombasiw( also nankinumbasiw) is Kankana-ey for "leading to opposite ways" ="contrasting"

"Nankombasiw di ammo ta = What you knew is the reverse od what I knew.

Nankinombasiw ta kayman = We went away on opposite directions.

Nansaw-wasi (same as nansinaw-wasi) is a Kankana-ey word that means "went way against each other, e.g. one went north-bound while the other went south-bound"

Nansinawa ta = We traveled against each other, as in, your way led to town while my way led away from town = We crossed each other's path.

"To-an pay sa" Kankana-ey for "Whatever, I don't care"

"To-an sa!" figuratively means "Whatever happened!"
"To-an ka pay!" figuratively means "That's what you get by not heeding to what was expected"

Binnadang is a culture of the igorots

In the igorot land of Benguet, Philippines, moral support and assistance in any possible form are always extended by neighbors when needed.

The produce has been delivered to the market where owner farmer was paid an amount that is not enough to cover the capital outlay.  So sorry for the farmer and his neighbors.

Natalenten is the Kankana-ey word for "arranged in linear formations".

Natalenten di ginabot da a carrot sin nem-a = The carrots that they have uprooted in the farm are arrranged in linear formations.

Natatenten di toktok di repolyo ay ma-ila sin kama  sin nem-a= Cabbage heads are arranged following linear formations as seen in the vegetebale beds in the farm.

Nakakayang, a possibly offensive command uttered using the Ilocano language by public Utility Jeepney driver.

On a daily basis, I avail of the public utility jeepney transport service as I get to work here in Baguio City area. I am always sensitive to the space need of my co-passengers so I always sit with closed toes and legs.  On my ride from workplace to town today, my attention was strongly caught as I heard the driver of the jeepney yelled "E-den-den you man bassit ditoy, bawasan yo ti kayang yo!". I immediately made a check on how my seatmates are positioned and I saw that no one may be described as "naka-kayang". In the Ilocano lingo, "nakakayang" means seated with widely spread legs. Oh my, the handsome driver did not manifest a gentlemanly character when he arrogantly yelled "move a bit towards this side, lessen the way your legs are spread out." PUJ drivers may need a course on good manners and right conduct. Anyway, I am assuming that the cutie driver is just going through something today.  I hope to observe a better behavior from him next time. Yes, the handsome driver, who is simultaneously baby sitting a kid while driving, his boy kid is sitting beside the driver while the kid is enjoying a stick of street food, bought by the driver from the street vendor, before the driver entered the driver's post, does not look like he is a highlander.🙂

Nadipos is Kankana-ey word for "went away", it may also mean "gone" or "passed away".

Nadipos din segit. = "The sunshine is gone."
Enggay nadipos di agew. = "The day has already passed away".
Intoy nadipdiposam? = "Where have you been going?"

Uga (pronounced by putting the stress on u) is a Kankana-ey word that means "cry".

Maka-ug-uga si Ngos-itan. = "Ngos-itan is about to cry".

Nan-uga = inmuga = "cried";
Inmuga din an-anak = "The kid cried."

Ka-uga = "suddenly cried";
Pagat ka-uga ka? = "Why did you suddenly cry?"

Es-estem is a Kankana-ey clitic that literally means "always do your best".

Es-estem ay man-eskwela = always make good in your studies.

Es-esten yo. = You take care.

Es-estem san oblam = Take good care of your work.

Eg-yat is Benguet Kankana-ey word for "fear" or "scare" or "afraid".

Amegyatak = I am afraid = I am scared.
Ka-e-egyat = very scary.
Enayan kayo pay, maga di egyat yo. = You are pitifully unafraid, you are not scared.

Nangawali is a Kankana-ey word which means "made a round trip"="back and forth".

Enmey kami nanpasyal ed ili mi. Nangawili kami. " We went to visit our hometown. We made a round trip."

Nasumpakan: Half tunnel along the Halsema highway at kilometer 46. The place is locally named Nasumpakan. A trek on its back side is a place called Spanish Trail.

Dap-ayan Restaurant at Km 5 Pico La Trinidad Benguet

The Dap-ayan resto has amenities for any any function. Very nice place! It has enough parking space for guests. For those who prefer to commute, it is about 300 meters away from the La Trinidad Public Market.  Enter the road towards Pico, from Baguio, turn left when infront Jollibee Km 5(Pass by the side of Petron). While passing by the road, you will notice Star Colleges. Dap-ayan is in the neighborhood of Star Colleges.

Dap-ayan in kankana-ey may refer to the surroundings of a fireplace/traditional kitchen of the indigeneous people of the cordilleras.

Se-ed is Kankana-ey word for wait.

Se-edek = sed-ek = I will wait.
Sed-ek sik-a = I will wait for you.
Sed-ek da-ida= I will wait for them.
Sed-em sak-en = You wait for me.
Sed-em si John = Wait for John.
Sed-em sisya = Wait for him/her.

Nateltel is the Benguet Kankana-ey term for "stunted".

Nateltel di mula ay patatas, nateltel gabay da tan tiyago. = The potato plant did not grow well. Their growth is stunted because the season is dry.

Uwat in one Kankana-ey dialect means "vein".

Surprisingly, in another Kankana-ey dialect (Kapangan, Benguet's Kankana-ey), na-uwat means "hungry".

Na-uwatan in yet another Kankana-ey dialect means " having visible veins or vein-like components". Na-uwatan di lokto means "the sweet potato has vein-like components". Na-uwat or nanguwat san sikim means "your foot has visible veins".

Napo-o-an is a Kankana-ey word for burned.

Napo-o-an din dontog ed Tagpaya, Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet. Inilak di litrato ay na-i-pa-ey sin Facebook ed agsapa.= The mountain in Tagpaya, Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet has been burned. I saw a picture that was placed in Facebook this morning.

Nankibaltang is a word used by some Kankana-ey speakers to mean "inappropriate" or "unsucessful because it is a wrong move in the first place"

Nankibaltang di odom ay inam-amag ko = "I did some inapproriate acts" = "Some of the things that I have done are unsuccessful because I did wrong in the first place."

Man-sey-ang is a Kankana-ey which means "the sun shining". It may also mean "the act of getting illuminated/warmth from the rays of the sun"

Sey-angan is a place where people can stay to in order to be exposed to the sun and to be conveyed the natural vitamins from the early morning sun.

Napulag is a Kankana-ey word that means made a downwards roll over an inclined/descending venue

Napulag din talak si nakayang ay teneng di kalsada= The truck fell by rolling over the inclined edge of the highway.

Na-i-sukba is a Kankanaey word for falling on the ground while in forward walking/running motion.

Na-i-kados is a Kankana-ey word that means making a slip due to a slippery path.

Balintuwang is Kankana-ey word that means doing a forward roll or any similar movement of the body.

Man-gayeng-geng is the Kankana-ey word for "to tremble"

Mantayegteg is a synonym of man-gayeng geng.

"Umipa-gayeng-geng di nerbiyos " = Feeling nervuous causes trembling.

"Man-tayeg da tan peteg di teg-in. "= They are trembling because it is very cold.