“Cow” in every Philippine language
Cow across 9 languages, and what the differences tell you.
Last updated
Side by side
| Language | Cow |
|---|---|
| English | Cow |
| Tagalog | Baka |
| Ilocano | Baka |
| Cebuano | Baka |
| Hiligaynon | Baka |
| Waray | Baka |
| Bikol | Baka |
| Kapampangan | Baka |
| Pangasinan | Baka |
What the pattern shows
Baka in all eight without variation. Spanish vaca arrived with the animal itself, so there was no native word for it to displace — which is why this row is flat while cat is not.
Where they agree
- Baka — Tagalog, Ilocano, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Bikol, Kapampangan, Pangasinan
English stands alone with Cow.
More animals
Where this comes from
This row is one of 161 concept pages drawn from a parallel set of everyday vocabulary held across nine languages. You can browse all of them, download the whole set under CC BY-SA 4.0, or paste text to find out which language it is.
Compiled from published general reference and pending review by native speakers. If something here is wrong in a language you speak, please tell us.