From a Kankanaey Song

Ikantak riknak ay naragsak, layad ay manleplepyas.
I will sing out my happy feeling, overflowing happiness.

Idi sik-ay na-ilak, nasdaawak
When I saw you, I was surprised

Sik-ay na-inlove-ak
With you I am in-love

Tan sin damo peteg di layad ko
Because at first I felt so happy

Idi en ta nan-am-ammo
When we came to know each other

Mankebkebkeb nan pusok
My heartbeat came intensely

Sik-a san gasat ko
You are my serendipity

Mankebkebkeb nan pusok
My heartbeat came intensely

Sik-a san gasat
You are my serendipity

Adiak maibkas nan layad ko
I cannot express my happiness

No asag-ennak abay mo.
When I am near your side

Ammok ay sik-a di ek laylayden
I know that you are whom I like

Naanos ya na-esem
Kind and always smiling

Tan sin damo peteg di layad ko
Because at first I felt so happy

Idi en ta nan-am-ammo
When we came to know each other

Mankebkebkeb nan pusok
My heartbeat came intensely

Sik-a san gasat ko
You are my serendipity

Tan sin damo peteg di layad ko
Because at first I felt so happy

Idi en ta nan-am-ammo
When we came to know each other

Mankebkebkeb nan pusok
My heartbeat came intensely

Sik-a san gasat ko
You are my serendipity

Sik-a san gasat ko
You are my serendipity

Random Words From Cordillera Songs

Word : Language : Part Of Speech: English Translation

ginawang : Kankanaey : noun: River
nakay : Kankanaey : noun (may be used as adjective to mean old for a male gender): old man
kedyat : Kankanaey : noun: wink ( act of wink of an eye with a nod of the head)
mankedyat: Kankanaey: verb: to wink
li'ked : Kankanaey : verb: roam around
nabakes : Kankanaey : noun( may be used as adjective to mean old for  a female gender): old woman
nabakesan : Kankanaey: adjective : spinster
sakyab : Kankanaey: verb : climb
bumala/bumela : Kankanaey : verb: go out
egyat : Kankanaey : noun: scare
saliw-a : Kankanaey : noun: consolation
gub-aw : Kankanaey : adjective: Toothless person
siyek : Kankanaey : verb: to laugh
masis-iyek : Kankanaey : adjective: smiling
maka-an : Kankanaey : verb: be removed/ get rid of
seg-ang : Kankanaey : verb: to sympathize/to pity
baken : Kankanaey : adverb:  not
labi' : Kankanaey : adverb: night
mansese-ed: Kankanaey : verb: waiting
talaw : Kankanaey : noune: star
dat(e)ngan : Kankanaey : reach
adi-ak : Kankanaey : I will not
sangaw: Kankanaey : verb: to cause confusion/disturbance
nasangaw : Kankanaey : verb: confused/disturbed
dawat: Kankanaey: verb: to give
indaw(a)tam: Kankanaey : verb+pronoun : You gave
napno : Kankanaey: adjective: full
buway : Kankanaey: verb: to tire
nabb(u)ay : Kankanaey: adjective : tired
langpay : Kankanaey: verb : to exhibit immature/childish behavior



NOTE: In Kankanaey, nouns and verbs substitute each other depending on the context of the statement.

Enggay Pay Tan

What is "Enggay Pay Tan"?
"Enggay Pay Tan" is a Kankanaey phrase that semantically translates to "You should feel regretful."
When somebody does not get a favorable outcome because he/she has not done what he/she is supposed to do(For example, X's crush gets engaged to Y because  X has never made Y aware of X's feeling), the person may hear the remark "Enggay Pay Tan". ( Z tells X "Enggay Pay Tan").

Pipiyan taha.

"I love you." in Ibaloi can be "Pipijan taha."   j is pronounced as y.

"It is you that I like." = "Si'kham eh pijan ko."
"It is you that I saw." = "Si'kham eh inun-an ko."
"What is your name?" = "Sipay ngaran mo?"
"Where will we go?" = "Tuvay davan ta?"   v is pronounced as w
"I am shy." = "Enbainnak."
"I have something to tell you." = "Waray ikuwan ko son si'kham."

Kugaban

Kugaban is the Kankanaey word equivalent to Yesterday.
Luman is the Kankanaey word for Tomorrow
Lawas is Kankanaey word for Weekdays
The days of the week in Kankanaey are the same with other local languages(Lunes, Martes, Miyerkules, Huwebes, Biyernes, Sabado, Domingo.) However, native Kankanaey speakers would use different spellings. It seems like, any l, r and d are substitutes to each other if they are within a word. H and K seems to substitute each other if they are first letters of a word. Hence, Martes=Maltes=Madtes, Miyerkules=Miyedkules=Midkules, Huwebes=Kuwebes=Kwebes.

What is ngantoy?

"Ngantoy?" is the Ibaloi equivalent of "Why?".

The word, however, may have been the contraction of the words "ngaran", "to" and "aya". "ngaran=name", "to"=it/his/her, "aya"=interjection for begging a response for a what interrogation..  "Ngaran to aya?" could transliterate to "What is its name?" or "What is his name" or "What is her name?" These questions are figuratively similar to the question of "Why?" or "What did it do to you?" or "What did she do to you?" or "What did he do to you?".

For the specific context of asking someone's name:
"Sipay ngaran mo?" = "What is your name" : "Sipa"="what", "y" =helping verb "is" that is made an inclitic, "ngaran"= "name", "mo"="your"(second person, singular).

For the specific context of asking the names of more than one subjects.
 "Sipay ngaran jo?" = "What are your names" : "Sipa"="what", "y" =helping verb "are" that is made an inclitic, "ngaran"= "name", "yo"="your"(second person, plural).

From some native speakers of Ibaloi, you would hear the query statement "Nganto?" as their way to request a repetition of what you have said.  "Nganto?"="What is it?"

Inmeyam? Intoy nadipdiposam?

The future-oriented Kankanaey boyfriend decided to leave for work abroad. He politely informed his girlfriend. Below is a part of their conversation.

girlfriend: "Kas-ano ak ngin?" (How about me?)

boyfriend: "Wadan sik-a no mas-ed mo sak-en tano man tauli-ak et duwa ta pay dedan, adita met nan asawa sunga wadan sik-a, ay sino pay kayman di kabakesam". (It is up to you if you will wait for me because we can still be a couple when I will get back, we are not married so it is really up to you, i cannot be the reason for you to grow old unmarried.)


The intelligent girl took it as a break-up line. He leaves and she gets another man for marriage. Later, when the boyfriend seemed to be back, the already married girl asks "Inmeyam? Intoy nadipdiposam?" (Where did you go? Where have you been..)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8A7zyRtlrk