ibig (Tagalog)
Where does "ibig" come from?
The Tagalog verb 'ibig', which means to want or to like, traces its origins back to the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian term '*ibəʀ'. This ancient root originally referred to physical sensations like 'saliva in the mouth' or 'drool' before evolving to encompass abstract feelings of 'desire', 'crave', or 'lust for'. This semantic connection between bodily appetites and emotional yearning is reflected in numerous cognates throughout the region, such as Tboli 'iwol' which links 'saliva' with 'desire', and Tongan 'ifo' which connects 'saliva' to the sense of being 'tasty'. Through this history, the word demonstrates how physical experiences often serve as the linguistic foundation for expressing our deepest human attractions and cravings.
Full etymology tree
- ibig (Tagalog), 'to want; to like'
- inherited *ibəʀ (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian)
Cognates and doublets
- ibog (Cebuano)
- ibog (Hanunoo)
- ibug (Kapampangan)
Descendants and derived words
- buhay-pag-ibig (Tagalog)
- ibigin (Tagalog)
- ibig sabihin (Tagalog)
- kaibigan (Tagalog)
- kaibiganin (Tagalog)
- magkaibigan (Tagalog)
- magkaibigan (Tagalog)
- magkakaibigan (Tagalog)
- magkakaibigan (Tagalog)
- maibigin (Tagalog)
- makipagkaibigan (Tagalog)
- mangaibigan (Tagalog)
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris