The Ibanag language (also Ybanag or Ibanak)[2] is an Austronesian language spoken by up to 500,000 speakers, most particularly by the Ibanag people, in the Philippines, in the northeastern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, especially in Tuguegarao, Solana, Abulug, Camalaniugan, Lal-lo, Cabagan, Tumauini, San Pablo, Sto.

It is closely related to Gaddang, Itawis, Agta, Atta, Yogad, Isneg, and Malaweg.

[citation needed] In Tuguegarao, before the Spaniards came, the language was Irraya (an almost-extinct Gaddang dialect).

[citation needed] For example, Ibanags from towns in northern Cagayan, which includes Abulug, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Pamplona, and Lallo, tend to replace their ps with fs.

On the other hand, Tuguegarao Ibanag, besides having Spanish influences, may have acquired elements from nearby Itawis.

At the same time, Isabela Ibanag may have acquired elements from the original Gaddang language predominant in the province.

Some words used in the present such as innafi 'rice', bavi 'pig', afi 'fire', are listed in Spanish texts as innafuy, bavuy, and afuy respectively.

Also, the Ibanag term for the number one, tadday, was once used interchangeably with the word itte, which is no longer used apparently by modern speakers of the language.

Ibanag is one of the MTB languages now taught in Philippine schools," and two current stage plays, Zininaga Ta Bannag (Heritage of the River) and Why Women Wash the Dishes are being performed in the Ibanag language.

For example, the words umay ('to go'), balay ('house') or aggaw ('day') are sometimes pronounced as ume, bale, and aggo respectively.

[clarification needed] Ibanag features phonemes that are not present in many related Philippine languages; phonemes unique to Ibanag compared to its sister languages include [f] as in innafi, 'rice', [v] as in bavi, 'pig', [z] as in kazzing, 'goat' and [dʒ] as in madjan, 'maid'.

This orthography is the one being adopted for use in public schools for the purpose of the Department of Education's Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education policy in Ibanag-speaking areas and is prescribed by the Ibanag Heritage Foundation, Inc.[11][12][13] Example: Kiminak kami tu bavi.

Simple sentences as opposed to descriptive patterns: Y and nga are the two most commonly used markers in Ibanag.

The marker ta and the preposition na (not the pronoun) sometimes, depending also on the dialect, acquire the first consonant of the succeeding word.

Tal likuk nab balay 'at the back of the house' This is an example of an Ibanag proverb, which is also known throughout the archipelago.

(Tuguegarao) Ibanag: Ammeng kagim tu piyyo ngana y illug tapenu ari nga magivung.

(Isabela) Tagalog: Huwag mong sabihing sisiw na ang itlog para Hindi ito maging bugok.

Nu anni paga y kasta na davvun a karuan Egga ka la ta futu' nga ideddukan.

The direct translation here is different from the English version of the Cagayan Provincial Anthem.