Pasefika Polynesian Dictionary


English to Polynesian Dictionary



English Sāmoan Hawaiʻian Tongan Tahitian Māori Scientific
Pacific Mussaenda or Pacific flag-tree Aloalo vao Mussaenda raiateensis
Pacific Ocean Pasefika Pākīpika Pasifiki Patitifa Pasifika
Pacific rosewood Milo Thespesia populnea
Palolo Worm Palolo Palola viridis
Papaya Esi Mīkana Lesi ʻĪʻitā Papaia Carica papaya
Paper mulberry Uʻa Wauke Hiapo Aute Aute Broussonetia papyrifera
Pattern ʻĒlei
Pepper elder Vao Vai Peperomia pellucida
Perfume tree Mosoʻoi Cananga odorata
Person Tagata Kanaka Tangata
Person with title Matai
Pig Puaʻa Puaʻa Puaka Puaʻa Kunekune Sus scrofa, Sus scrofa domesticus
Piper graeffei Fue manogi Piper graeffei
Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum ʻAvaʻava aitu Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum
Plant Lāʻau Lāʻau
Planting Stick ʻOso ʻŌʻō
Please Faʻamolemole ʻoluʻolu Kātaki
Pleiades (Messier 45) Liʻi Makaliʻi Star Cluster
Plumeria Pua Melia Kalosipani Tīpanīe Plumeria
Polaris Hōkūpaʻa Star
Polyscias Tagitagi Polyscias
Port (side) Tauagavale Hema Hema ʻAui Mauī
Portuguese man o' war Vaʻa tau Paʻimalau Pekipaki Physalia physalis
Premna serratifolia Aloalo Premna serratifolia
Psychotria insularum Masame Psychotria insularum
Pull Futi Huki

Sāmoan to English Dictionary



Hawaiʻian 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