The name Kankanaey came from the language which they speak. The only difference among the Kankanaey are the way they speak like intonation and the usage of some words.

In intonation, there is a hard Kankanaey or #Applai and soft Kankanaey. Speakers of hard Kankanaey are from Sagada, Besao and the surrounding parts or barrios of the said two municipalities. They speak Kankanaey hard in intonation where they differ in some words from the soft-speaking Kankanaey.

The soft speaking Kankanaey comes from Northern #Benguet, some parts of Benguet, and from the municipalities of #Sabangan, #Tadian and #Bauko from #Mountain Province. In words, for example, an Applai might say otik or beteg (pig) and the soft-speaking Kankanaey may say busaang or beteg as well. The #Kankanaey may also differ in some words like egay or aga, maid or maga. They also differ in their ways of life and sometimes in culture.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kankanaey_people
Photo: The Cordillera Life