What is the name of the Philippines before it was named Philippines?

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It never changed

homeward07

It had no name. Lands are named only after armed men come and intimidate the natives into religious servitude and economic conformity, in the name of freedom, progress and God.

If you look at any pre-1512 map, the islands appear nameless.

lushbabe4u

It depends...you can't really tell the exact name because before the Spaniards came to Phils. there are already people from other countries who goes to Phils. for trading like the Chinese, Malays & so much more. Each nationalities especially the merchants have different name version on their own language before it was named "Islas de las Filipinas" by the Spaniards. Most of the islands are ruled by datus & each also have their own name on their islands then to think Phils. have 7,107 islands. (Depends on high or low tide.) LOL! (--,)

mcsteamyandme

none.. until it was discovered, it was just a place called home for the natives..

Eternity

I've heard somewhere that it was Maharlika. Don't take my word for it though :/

Nameless

VeRDuGo

the philippines had no name before (pre - magellan era 1520's and down to the xxx A.D. years).... true, magellan named it archipelago de san lazarus, but it was merely in the visayan region, mostly near mactan and not the whole philippine archipelago. the early malays named it ma-i or mayi and also true that it mainly covers the mindoro area... islas de filipinas was given by lopez de legaspi and later shortened to filipinas... when americans came, it became philippines but hispanic era it was known as filipinas (1600 - 1800's). a portion was known as maynilad which later on became manila. keep in mind, different portion and different areas were still unexplored thus, different culture, different areas, different names.

the whole philippines attained it's name when boundaries were set and the whole archipelago was obtained.

ciao....

prsegovia

Certainly it evolved from the word Felipinas given by vasco de Gama as a tribute to the king of Spain, Philip.Another name,The Island of St Lazarus, which F. Magellan gave.

arienne321

There was no known name for the whole aggrupation of islands now known as Philippines. Ma-i was the name given to Mindoro by the Chinese during the time when trade between the islands and China was already ongoing. So, far that was the only name prior to the coming of the Spaniards as mentioned in the history books.

fabianmoderator

Originally, In 1521 Ferdinand Magellan the Portugese conquistador (who pledged his allegiance to Spain after the Portugese government laughed-off his claim that the world is round and dissuade his ambitions to circumnavigate the earth); eventually "rediscovered" [he just rediscovered it bec. there are inhabitants already when he found it] the now called - Philippine Islands.

He planned to name the islands as "Islas De San Lazaro" in reverence to their patron saint St. Lazarus.

But because of his gratitude to Spain and to give Honor to then King Philip II who commissioned his voyage to circumnavigate the world. and find a "spice route" from west to east.

He finally decided to call the islands - "Islas de las Filipinas" or the Islands of the Philiipines.

Thus, the name PHILIPpines orignated, eventually he was also killed in this same country, at the battle of Mactan by the Filipino Hero : Lapu-Lapu

Pinilakang Tabing

The early natives did not call the place with any name before. When they refer to it, they point to it using their closed lips ("nguso" as it's called).

p!nk

there was really no name... the philippines is not like thailand that is called siam before...

iscikedelic

Philippines have several names before the occupation of the Spaniards, one name is May-i.

warrior is a child

was it islas filipinas?
try:
http://pinas.dlsu.edu.ph/history/history.html

Inday

It had always been called the Philippines (or Islas de Filipinas).

But, if you're asking about the official name, it is Republic of the Philippines (abbreviated RP) now. Before, it was Philippine Islands (hence the abbreviation PI ----- are you all too young to remember this? Ask your lolo or lola).

Pinay and Proud!