archipelago in southeast Asia at the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, from Spanish Islas Filipinas, literally "the islands of Philip," named 1542 by Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos in honor of Philip, Prince of Asturias, who was later Philip II, king of Spain. Related: Philippine. Other early names for then in Spanish included Islas del Poniente "Islands of the West."
Entries linking to philippines
Philip
masc. proper name, most famously in classical history king of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great (compare philippic); the from Latin Philippus, from Greek Philippos "fond of horses," from philos "beloved, loving" (see philo-) + hippos "horse" (from PIE root *ekwo- "horse"). Skelton made it the name applied to a common sparrow (perhaps from resemblance to the bird's call). In 16c., Philip and Cheyney was a way to say "any two common men."
You remember the story of the poor woman who importuned King Philip of Macedon to grant her justice, which Philip refused : the woman exclaimed, "I appeal" : the king, astonished, asked to whom she appealed : the woman replied, "From Philip drunk to Philip sober." [Emerson, "New England Reformers," 1844]
*ekwo-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "horse." Perhaps related to *ōku- "swift."
It forms all or part of: alfalfa; Eohippus; equestrian; equine; equus; hippo-; hippocampus; Hippocratic; Hippocrene; hippocrepian; hippodrome; hippogriff; Hippolytus; hippopotamus; Philip; philippic; Philippines; Xanthippe.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit açva-, Avestan aspa-, Greek hippos, Latin equus, Old Irish ech, Old Church Slavonic ehu-, Old English eoh, Gothic aihwa- all meaning "horse."
Filipino n.
1898 (fem. Filipina), Spanish, from las Islas Filipinas "the Philippine Islands" (see Philippines).