美岸

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (美岸)		美	岸
simp. #(美岸)		美	岸
alternative forms		密岸 密雁 維甘／维甘
Literally: “beautiful shore”.

Etymology

Possibly from Ilocano Bigan or Spanish Bigan, spelled as such in early maps like the Velarde map (1734), from Ilocano biga (“giant taro / Biga'a (Alocasia macrorrhizos)”) + -an (“locative suffix”) where Alocasia macrorrhizos plants once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River, from which Captain Juan de Salcedo derived the city's name, after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Měi'àn

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄟˇ ㄢˋ

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): Bí-gān

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Měi'àn
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄟˇ ㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Měi-àn
    • Wade–Giles: Mei³-an⁴
    • Yale: Měi-àn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Meeiann
    • Palladius: Мэйань (Mɛjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /meɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀän⁵¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bí-gān
    • Tâi-lô: Bí-gān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: by'gan
    • IPA (Philippines): /bi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ɡan⁴¹/

Proper noun

美岸

1. (～市) Vigan (a city in Ilocos Sur, Philippines)