Ilocano people
The Ilokanos (Ilocano: Tattao a Iloko) or Iloko people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. There are over 40 dialects of the Ilokano language and their speakers reside within the Ilocos region in the Philippines.
Etymology
The word Ilokano originates from Iloko (archaic form, Yloco), the conjugation of i- (meaning "of") and look (meaning "bay), which means "from the bay" in Ilokano. Aside from being referred to as Ilokano, they are also identified as Samtoy, a portmanteau of the Ilokano phrase sao mi ditoy meaning "our language here" ("sao mi" = "our language;" "ditoy" - "here").
Ethnic homeland
Ilocandia is the term given to the traditional homeland of the Ilokano people. From the original western strip of Northern Luzon, Ilocandia has spread throughout the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley and some parts of Central Luzon.
Demographics
Ilokanos number about 9,136,000. A few Ilokanos living in the Cordilleras have some Cordillerano blood.
