Philippine E-Journals

THE NAMES OF THE PROVINCE

There are many opinions regarding the origin of the word Ilocos. A group of islands from northern Taiwan to the southern edge of Luzon was believed to have existed in remote antiquity and was called Liu-Kiu.1 Jose Resurreccion Calip believes that this was the original name from which the present name Ilocos had been derived. 2 To this original term, Spanish chroniclers appeared to have given seven variants: I-Liu-kiu, Yloquio, Ilocos, Yllocos, Ylocos, Yloco, Ylucos.3 Citing the authority of Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Calip explains that the prefix “I” means from and, therefore, I-liukiu means from the Liu-Kiu district.4