Pasefika Polynesian Dictionary


English to Polynesian Dictionary



English Sāmoan Hawaiʻian Tongan Tahitian Māori Scientific
Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum ʻAvaʻava aitu Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum
Maile Maile Alyxia stellata
Maile Maile Alyxia oliviformis
Malay apple Nonu fiʻafiʻa ʻŌhiʻa ʻai Syzygium malaccensis
Man Tāne Kāne Tagata Tāne Tāne
Mango Mago Mangifera indica
Manta Ray Fai Malie Hāhālua Manta Birostris
March Mati Malaki Maʻasi Mati Maehe
Mars Matamemea Hōkūʻula Maunu ʻura Matawhero
May Me Mei Me Mei
Meteoroid (Shooting Star) Fetū Afi Meteoroid
Mile-a-minute vine Fue saina Mikania micrantha
Monday Aso Gafua Poʻakahi Mōnite Monire Rāhina
Moon Māsina Māhina Māhina ʻĀvaʻe Māhina
Mountain Mauga Mauna Moʻuga Mouʻa Maunga
Mountain Apple Nonu fiʻafiʻa ʻŌhiʻa ʻai Syzygium malaccensis
Mouth Gutu Waha Ngutu Vaha Waha
Musk (Maile scented) Fern Lau magamaga Lauaʻe Laufale Metuapuaʻa Microsorum/Phymatosorus grossus or scolopendria

Sāmoan to English Dictionary



Hawaiʻian to English Dictionary



Tongan to English Dictionary



Tongan to English Dictionary



Tahitian to English Dictionary



Māori to English Dictionary



Welcome to the Pasefika Polynesian Dictionary. This dictionary is meant to be a comparative dictionary to quickly view similarities, differences and cognate relationships between words across Polynesian languages. The dictionary includes a format that will display english to polynesian translation into words from Sāmoan, Hawaiʻian, Tongan, Māori, and Tahitian languages.

Most knowledge in Polynesia was communicated and passed on through language, legends, and songs.

The Sāmoan alphabet constists of these letters

Sāmoan written Alphabet: A E F G I L M N O P S T U V (K H R are additonal)

Vowels in Sāmoan language

  • A (ʻA A ʻĀ Ā) - pronounced (ˈä) AAh, like "AAh"
  • E (ʻE E ʻĒ Ē) - pronounced (ˈe) Eh, like net
  • I (ʻI I ʻĪ Ī) - pronounced (ē) EE, like see
  • O (ʻO O ʻŌ Ō) - pronounced (ō) oh, like "Oh"
  • U (ʻU U ʻŪ Ū) - pronounced (u̇(ə)) oo, like oops
  • A glottal stop and/or macron indicate short, normal, long sound and/or a brief pause in the sound of each vowel).

A glottal stop and/or macron indicate short, normal, long sound and/or a brief pause in the sound of each vowel).

Consonants in Sāmoan language
F G L M N P S T V

Comparison of consonant letters of Sāmoan language to languages of other Polynesian cultures

  • Sāmoa s or f = Aotearoa (Māori) h = Hawaiʻi h = Marquesas h = Tahiti h = Tonga h
  • Sāmoa g = Aotearoa (Māori) ng = Hawaiʻi n = Marquesas k = Tahiti = Tonga g
  • Sāmoa l = Aotearoa (Māori) r = Hawaiʻi l = Marquesas = Tahiti r = Tonga l
  • Sāmoa t = Aotearoa (Māori) t = Hawaiʻi k = Marquesas = Tahiti t = Tonga t
  • Sāmoa v = Aotearoa (Māori) w = Hawaiʻi w = Marquesas v = Tahiti v = Tonga v
  • Sāmoa f = Aotearoa (Māori) wh = Hawaiʻi h = Marquesas f or h = Tahiti h or f = Tonga f

The letter K in Sāmoan language

K
The letter K is a consonant than notes the use of the "K" style of Samoan language and/or used for words introduced with translation from other languages.

Additional Consonants in Sāmoan language

H R
Additional consonants (introduced with translation)

Some English letters informally are translated to Sāmoan Language with the use of additional consonants and rarely with vowels.

  • English b = Sāmoan p
  • English c = Sāmoan t/k or s
  • English d = Sāmoan t/k or s
  • English d = Sāmoan t/k
  • English g = Sāmoan t/k or s
  • English j = Sāmoan s or i

In studies of linguistics, Sāmoan language has been catagoriezed within the Austronesian family of languages.

Linguistic classification

  • Austronesian
  • Malayo-Polynesian
  • Oceanic
  • Central Pacific
  • Polynesian
  • Samoic
  • Sāmoan