History

The word Tagalog is derived from tagá-ílog, tagá- meaning "native of" and -ílog meaning "river," thus meaning "river dweller" (Wikipedia). However, there are no surviving written samples of the language before the arrival of Spain in the 16th century and therefore, not much is known about the history of Tagalog.

The dialect of Tagalog considered standard is the educated dialect of Manila, native to the city located in the southern part of the island of Luzon. The lexicon of this dialect contains many borrowings from Spanish and English, "the former reflecting over three centuries of colonial domination of the Philipines by Spain, the latter reflecting the period of American hegemony (1898-1946), as well as the current status of English as both the language of higher education in the Philippines and a lingua franca" (Comrie, 936). Both languages have also impacted the phonology of Tagalog.