Visayan

Visayan refers to a group of related Austronesian languages spoken primarily in the Visayas, a central island region of the Philippines, and to the peoples who speak them. The term Bisaya is commonly used locally, though Bisaya can also denote the broader language group.

Visayan languages constitute the Philippines’ largest language subgroup in terms of speakers. The major languages are Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), and Waray-Waray, each with millions of native speakers. Other Visayan languages include Aklanon, Karay-a, Capiznon, Romblonon, and Masbatenyo. They belong to the Western Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family and display regional variation with some mutual intelligibility in neighboring areas.

Geographically, Visayan languages are spoken across the Visayas and nearby islands—Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Samar, Biliran—and in parts of Mindanao and Luzon. Cebuano is particularly widespread and often serves as a lingua franca in several provinces, while other Visayan languages maintain strong local use in education, media, and daily life. Multilingualism with Filipino (Tagalog) and English is common.

Historically, the Visayas were a hub of precolonial trade and later became central to Spanish colonization and Christianization. Today Visayan-speaking communities preserve diverse cultural traditions in literature, music, and festivals, contributing to the broader Philippine cultural landscape.