Maynila

English

Proper noun

Maynila

  1. Alternative form of Manila (“city in Philippines”).

Tagalog

Alternative forms

  • Meynila — archaic
  • Manila — informal

Etymology

From may- (“there is; with”) +‎ nila (“true indigo”), where nila is derived from Sanskrit नील (nīla, “indigo”).

The name Maynilà is probably in reference to the abundance of indigo-yielding plants growing in the area surrounding the settlement, rather than Maynilà being known as a settlement that trades in indigo dye, as the settlement was founded several hundred years before indigo dye extraction became an important economic activity in the area in the 18th century.

A common alternative theory is that the term came from Maynilad from may- (“there is; with”) +‎ nilad (“Scyphiphora hydrophylacea, shrub-like tree that grows in or near mangrove its swamps”). However, it is unlikely that native Tagalog speakers would completely drop the final consonant /d/.

See also Pangasinan Ibali, an archaic name for Manila.

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /majˈnilaʔ/ [maɪ̯ˈn̪iː.lɐʔ]
  • Rhymes: -ilaʔ
  • Syllabification: May‧ni‧la

Proper noun

Maynilà (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜌ᜔ᜈᜒᜎ)

  1. Manila (the national capital of the Philippines; the regional capital of Metro Manila)
    Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
    University of the City of Manila

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Kapampangan: Menila
  • → Spanish: Manila

See also

Further reading

  • “Maynila”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
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