'Manila' originates from the Spanish word 'Manila', which was derived from the Tagalog phrase 'Maynilad', where 'may' meant 'there is' and 'nilad' referred to a type of flowering plant.

'Maynilad' transformed into the Spanish word 'Manila', and eventually became the modern English word 'Manila'.

Initially, it referred to the place where the 'nilad' plant was abundant, but over time it evolved into its current meaning as the name of the city and the type of paper.