Why are the Philippines spelt with a "PH", but people who come from there, Filipinos, spelt with an "F"?

Question

Either spelling is reasonable, but why the difference?

Answer 1

When it was under Spanish colonial rule it was called “Las Islas Filipinas,” after King Felipe II, but after the Spanish-American war, it was bought by the US. Since the English equivalent of the name Felipe is Phillip, the name of the country was changed to Philippines. But while the name of the country changed, the nationality did not. So you have Filipinos from the Philippines.

You will also see it spelled Pilipinos. The reason for that is that when they became a commonwealth they wanted to adopt a national language (there were 120 different dialects), so they went with Tagalog. When they did that, they looked at teh native script, called Baybayin, that was used before the Spaniards arrived. Although the Spanish introduced the letter, and sound, of "F", that sound was not native to the original language. Foreign words that used “non-native” sounds were respelled to fit the Baybayin-based alphabet. C’s became K’s, X’s turned into SK’s, and the letter F became a P. Filipinos who spoke Tagalog became Pilipinos who spoke Pilipino.

But in 1987, after Ferdinand Marcos, a new constitution was adopted which restored the letter F as well as other foreign sounds.

That's why you see the variations.

Answer 2

Philippines is the anglicized (English) version of our country's name. We would call our country Filipinas or even Pilipinas. ("Las Islas Filipinas" would be used if you wanted to say "The Philippine Islands")

The Philippines was named after Spanish king Philip II but even that's an anglicized version of the Spanish name Felipe.

Now that we're no longer a Spanish colony, we still stick to Philippines because that's what other countries are used to.

Other places do the same thing. It's just more convenient than insisting on a spelling English speakers aren't used to.

Germany is Deutschland, Vienna is really Wein, Switzerland is really Schweize.....

Edit:
btw, aj's answer is just plain stupid.
On the other hand, BrianthePigEatingInfidel's answer is an alternative explanation that's also accurate...except that our 1987 Constitution happened as a response to overthrowing Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

Answer 3

I am a highly qualified native speaking teacher of English. I would always ignore 'spell checker' as it is based on american English and not standard English spelling and grammar. Use whatever version of English you are most comfortable with, but be consistent and do not swop about within the same piece of writing. That's what I advise my students to do. To Dorothy - Yes, it does matter!

Answer 4

when you say "ph" in the word Philippines it sounds like "F" doesnt it? so its just basically simpler to go with the phonetic spelling, ie, spell as it sounds.
Philippino is such a lame spelling!
Plus it might be because in Spanish it is Filipinas or Las Islas Filipinas. so why not Filipino? seems to follow, doesnt it?
As you know the country was a long time Spanish colony.

Answer 5

This island group must have been discovered by an european explorer by name Phllips and hence the name retained in his honor beginning with "Ph". The inhabitants are aseans and therefore must have freely chosen "F" to indicate their population as Fillipinos.

Answer 6

Ph is for the people sitting in drawing rooms and F is for the people lying on bed in bed rooms. I hope I am clear what I want to say.

Answer 7

mabey it was a spellin mistake and it just got populated and it's now been used

Answer 8

you have to much free time. get out more!!

Answer 9

noone phucking knows

Answer 10

So you don't make a mistake!