Introduction

Tagalog, pronounced [tɐ'gaːlog], has grown to be the most commonly spoken language in the Philippines. Under the name of Pilipino (Filipino), it has around 24 million first language speakers and more than 65 million second language speakers. However, the great magnitude of this language has not always existed. In 1940, only a quarter of the population spoke Tagalog. This grew to about half the population by 1970. It is now the primary language of public education and the sole national language, while also used as a lingua franca throughout the country as well as in Filipino communities worldwide.