Badjao

B3A1D2J8A1O1
Philippines/bɐˈd͡ʒaʊ̯/

A form of Bajau — An island in Indonesia (part of the Riau Islands) with the coordinate location 3°7'31.84"N, 106°18'38.30"E.

Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounBadjao (plural Badjaos)

plural Badjaos · alternative obsolete Bajao

  1. PhilippinesalternativeAlternative spelling of Bajau.

Origin

Spelled as such around the early 20th century to avoid confusion with Spanish J, which the modern Spanish pronunciation is /h/. The spelling of "Badjao" emerged to ensure English J is pronounced as /d͡ʒ/.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Badjao. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Badjao

MLA

“Badjao.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Badjao. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Badjao,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Badjao.

Source: Badjao on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.