Vigan

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.

• Hyphenation: Vi‧gan

Vigan

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

• Gavin, Givan, vigna

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.

• Hyphenation: Vi‧gan

Vigan

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

• Bigan

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.

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

Vigan ?

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

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.

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

Vigan (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜒᜄᜈ᜔)

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