Vigan

English

Calle Crisologo in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish Vigan, also spelled as Bigan in early maps like the Velarde map (1734), originally from Ilocano Bigan. A common theory is that this word derived from Ilocano biga (“giant taro / Biga'a (Alocasia macrorrhizos)”) + -an (“locative suffix”) where Alocasia macrorrhizos plants once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River, from which Captain Juan de Salcedo derived the city's name, after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants. The other theory derives this word from Hokkien 美岸 (Bí-gān, literally “beautiful coast”), possibly by Chinese settlers in the area.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: Vi‧gan

Proper noun

Vigan

1. A city, the capital city of Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Translations

city in the Philippines

• Chinese:

  Hokkien: 美岸 (bî-gán) (Philippines)

  Mandarin: 維甘／维甘 (zh) (wéigān)

• Ilocano: Vigan
• Japanese: ビガン
• Korean: 비간 (bigan)
• Spanish: Vigan
• Tagalog: Vigan

Anagrams

• Gavin, Givan, vigna

Ilocano

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish Vigan, also spelled as Bigan in early maps like the Velarde map (1734), originally from Ilocano Bigan. A common theory is that this word derived from Ilocano biga (“giant taro / Biga'a (Alocasia macrorrhizos)”) + -an (“locative suffix”) where Alocasia macrorrhizos plants once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River, from which Captain Juan de Salcedo derived the city's name, after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants. The other theory derives this word from Hokkien 美岸 (Bí-gān, literally “beautiful coast”), possibly by Chinese settlers in the area.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: Vi‧gan

Proper noun

Vigan

1. Vigan (a city, the capital city of Ilocos Sur, Philippines)

Spanish

Alternative forms

• Bigan

Etymology

Also spelled as Bigan in early maps like the Velarde map (1734), originally from Ilocano Bigan. A common theory is that this word derived from Ilocano biga (“giant taro / Biga'a (Alocasia macrorrhizos)”) + -an (“locative suffix”) where Alocasia macrorrhizos plants once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River, from which Captain Juan de Salcedo derived the city's name, after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants. The other theory derives this word from Hokkien 美岸 (Bí-gān, literally “beautiful coast”), possibly by Chinese settlers in the area.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiɡan/ [ˈbi.ɣ̞ãn]
• Rhymes: -iɡan
• Syllabification: Vi‧gan

Proper noun

Vigan ?

1. Vigan (a city, the capital city of Ilocos Sur, Philippines)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish Vigan, also spelled as Bigan in early maps like the Velarde map (1734), originally from Ilocano Bigan. A common theory is that this word derived from Ilocano biga (“giant taro / Biga'a (Alocasia macrorrhizos)”) + -an (“locative suffix”) where Alocasia macrorrhizos plants once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River, from which Captain Juan de Salcedo derived the city's name, after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants. The other theory derives this word from Hokkien 美岸 (Bí-gān, literally “beautiful coast”), possibly by Chinese settlers in the area.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /ˈviɡan/, [ˈvi.ɣɐn]
  • IPA^(key): /ˈbiɡan/, [ˈbi.ɣɐn] (more native-sounding)
• Rhymes: -iɡan
• Syllabification: Vi‧gan

Proper noun

Vigan (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜒᜄᜈ᜔)

1. Vigan (a city, the capital city of Ilocos Sur, Philippines)