Lahi

Lahi is a term in Filipino languages, particularly Tagalog, that translates roughly as race, lineage, or heritage. It refers to the origins of a person or group, encompassing both biological lineage and cultural or social background. In addition to human ancestry, lahi can also denote the breed or stock of animals in the same conceptual sense.

In everyday usage, lahi appears in discussions of family history, genealogy, and national or ethnic identity. It can indicate the background that a person or community traces back to, or the group with which they are associated. The word is commonly found in phrases describing origins, such as the lahi of a family or the lahi of a people, and is used across various Philippine languages beyond Tagalog.

The concept of lahi is rooted in indigenous notions of kinship and descent, and it is reflected in many related terms across Philippine languages. While it is often used in neutral descriptive contexts, the topic can also intersect with sensitive questions of ethnicity, nationality, and social belonging. As with discussions of identity, the use of lahi benefits from precise context to avoid overgeneralization or misinterpretation.

See also: ethnicity, race, ancestry, genealogy.