I am not in favor of calling the language "Tao". The word means "person" or "people", which is also used in the Philippines. Batan languages and other northern Philippine languages have a characteristic prefix "i-" meaning "person from" or "native of", e.g., Ivatan, Ivuhos, Itbayat, Iluko, Ifugao, etc.

Some call it "Yami" which is really "Ihami". "Yami" is an anglicized corruption. I suggest that the spelling "Ihami" be used instead of "Yami".

I- is an equivalent of -ian or -ese a synonym for this is Ka- like Kagayan(Gaddang),Kabalen(Kapampangan),Kankanaey but I think Ka- and I- are interchangeable or synonyms which are common in regions north of NCR or non like in Sugbuanon which is commonly used in Southern philippines,in short you can use Ka instead of I- like for example Ipugo and Itawit can be called Kapugo and Katawit but the usage of I- form became the standard one,Ka- is more used than that prefix in Philippine Languages nowadays like in Kapamilya,Kapuso,the truth is filipinos did not really group themselves into tribes in the prehispanic times or before western contact because there was no concept of ethnic but neither do chinese or other east asians have a concept of it before the renassiance when europeans started to be prominent or have a mark in east asia but they had the concept of "nationality(macro-ethnic)" that is why majority of chinese just call themselves Han not Shanghainese or Cantonese. --Kasumi-genx (talk)