Introduction

The Northern Kankanay people reside in the Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra province, Tubo municipality, west Mountain province; Ilocos region: Ilocos Sur province, Cervantes, Gregorio del Pilar, Quirino, and San Emilio municipalities.

This group has a population of 94,100 (2005 UNSD). The Ethnologue code is xnn. Alternate names for the language are: Sagada Igorot, Western Bontoc.

The linguistic classification of Northern Kankanay is Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northern Luzon, Meso-Cordilleran, South-Central Cordilleran, Central Cordilleran, North Central Cordilleran, Nuclear Cordilleran, Bontok-Kankanay, Kankanay.

Language development has progressed in the language. A grammar has been completed and other literature are also available, all using the Latin script. Many speakers are literate.

The people of Northern Kankanay create terraces on mountain slopes for their crops. Their clothing is of a particular style of black, red, and white. They are known for their unique wedding dances. The language has a variety of hard and soft vocabulary depending on the municipalities.

This Northern Kankanay dictionary is still under development. Please send suggestions for additions or corrections on the Comment page under the Help Menu.

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