SAMOAN
LANGUAGE
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American Samoans have a rich language that remains the main language of the people. English is the second language and all islanders can speak english as well. There are several levels of spoken language. The high talking chiefs have a high oratory of rhetoric that only the indoctrinated can understand. They are the politicians and negotiators. There are regular chiefs that speak the everyday language of the people and get things done. Many have noticed how similar this is to mainland American society.
This page tries to convey a little of the everyday language. Palagis (caucasions) who try to learn are a great source of entertainment to native speakers. Learn to laugh along with them and be grateful their English is better than your Samoan!
Samoan is from the Austronesian family of languages. It is closely related to other Polynesian languages, especially Tongan. Here is a very cursory overview of the language and some vocabulary.
Consonants: p,t,m,n,g,f,v,s, and a glottal stop, '
A glottal stop is when you start a vowel with your throat closed, as usually is done in English. If you didn't, the word 'apple' would sound like 'happle.'
More letters k,h and r were added to the Samoan alphabet for foreign or borrowed words. To complicate things for the beginner, in the common vernacular some consonants are transposed when spoken: l for r and k for t. Thus the name Maria can become Malia and telefoni can become kelefoni.
The "g" is pronounced with "ng" sound, so Pago Pago is prounounced Pahngo Pahngo. You can have fun correcting your educated friends with this one.
Vowels: a,e, i, o, u pronounced generally as in romantic lanuguages such as Spanish and Italian.
HERE IS A SMALL VOCABULARY
- a'oga- school, faia'oga- teacher
ai- eat
a- of, particle used in may ways
a'u- I, me
ali'i- man of rank, chief
alofa- love
asu- smoke from a fire
Atua- God
alu- go
aumai- get or bring
fa'a- In the way of, fa'a Samoa, the Samoan way
fa'afetai- thank you
fa'amolemole- please
fale- house, falea'oga- school house
galuega- work
i- in, particle denoting position
ie togafine mat
Kerisimasi - Christmas. The Samoan word for Christ is Keriso and Kerisian for Christian.
lava- commonly used like saying "enough" in English
lavalava- clothes, particularly a wrap-around cloth
le- the, definite article, plural e
leaga- bad
leai- no, none, gone
lelei- good
lei- ivory
matua- parent
mai- from
motu- island
moa- chicken
manuia- happy, lucky, Manuia le aso,
manuia le kerisimasi- merry christmas
matai- title of extended family chief
o- of
sa- sacred, forbidden
sami- sea
sau- come
tapu- forbidden
timu- rain
tupe- money
papalagi- also palagi, anglos
palolo- segmented sea creature that comes out of the coral to breed (and be eagerly eaten)
tofa- goodbye
tusi- write, tusitala, person who writes stories
oka- okaoka, exclamation of surprise
talofa- hello
taupou- title for position of village maiden
timu- rain
toga- fine mat, very valuable
'ukulele- small stringed instrument, you know it!
ulaula- smoke
'ula- garland of flowers, 'ulalei, garland of ivory
ulu- breadfruit
va'a- canoe
va'alele- airplane, 'flying canoe'
vai- water
LEARNING TO COUNT
- 1. tasi
2. lua
3. tolu
4. fa
5. lima
6 ono
7. fitu
8. valu
9. iva
10. sefulu
11. sefulutasi, 12. sefululua, 13. sefulutolu, 14. sefulufa, etc.
20. luasefulu, 30. tolusefulu, 40. fasefulu, 50. limasefulu, etc.
21. luasefulutasi, 22. luasefululua, 23. luasefulutolu, etc.
100. tasi selau, 200. lua selau, etc.
A FEW WORDS BORROWED FROM ENGLISH
- Kerisimasi- Christmas
kolisi- college
moa- lawn mower
musika- music
nusipepa- newspaper
sikareti- cigarette
telefoni- telephone
televise- television
COLORS
- black- uliuli
blue- lanumoana
brown- enaena
green- lanumeamata
orange- lanumoli
pink- piniki
purple- viole, mumu pa'auli
red- mumu
white- pa'epa'e
yellow- samasama
Many thanks to Solomona S Aoelua for reading and offering improvements to this text. Any errors found are mine and unintentional.More Language resources:
Samoan Dictionary by G.B. Milner, Oxford University Press, 1966. Also, SAMOAN by C.C. Marsack, a teach yourself book by The English Universities Press Ltd.
Books Pasifika has Gagana Samoa (Samoan Language), by Galumalemana Afeleti Hunkin
Fa'afetai tele lava! Thank you very much!
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Copyright © 1996-2001 David Owens