isa (Tagalog)

Where does "isa" come from?

The Tagalog word 'isa' traces its roots directly back to the ancient Proto-Austronesian language, carrying the meaning of 'one' across thousands of years. It evolved through the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian and Proto-Philippine branches, maintaining a remarkable consistency in sound and purpose. This single term serves as a linguistic bridge, connecting modern Tagalog to its deep ancestral origins in the Austronesian language family.

Full etymology tree

• isa (Tagalog), 'one'
  • inherited *isa (Proto-Central Philippine)
    • inherited *isa (Proto-Philippine)
      • inherited *isa (Proto-Austronesian), 'alternative form of *əsa'

Ancestors

• *isa (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian)
• *isa (Proto-Austronesian)

Cognates and doublets

• esa (Malay)

Descendants and derived words

• animnapu't isa (Tagalog)
• apatnapu't isa (Tagalog)
• dalawampu't isa (Tagalog)
• iisa (Tagalog)
• ipagkaisa (Tagalog)
• isakay (Tagalog)
• isakay (Tagalog)
• isang araw (Tagalog)
• Isang Daang Taong Digmaan (Tagalog)
• isang dakot na hangin (Tagalog)
• isang libo (Tagalog)
• isa't isa (Tagalog)

Updated July 2026

More words starting with I

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris