Pasefika Polynesian Dictionary


English to Polynesian Dictionary



English Sāmoan Hawaiʻian Tongan Tahitian Māori Scientific
Tabasco Chili pepper Polo feʻu Capsicum annuum
Tahitian chestnut Ifi Inocarpus fagifer
Tahitian gardenia Pua Sāmoa Gardenia taitensis
Take, give ʻAve Lawe ʻAve Rave Tango
Tarenna sambucina Maʻanunu Tarenna sambucina
Taro Talo Kalo Talo Taro Taro Colocasia esculenta
Taro bud, young shoot from corm Lauvai ʻOhā
Taro bud, young shoot from corm Soesoe ʻOhā
Taro cutting/top used for planting Tiapula Huli Colocasia esculenta
Taro Leaf Lu‘au Lū‘au
Taro petiole, (individual) stalk
Taro plantation Maʻumaga Loʻi Ngoue Paʻi Taro Māra
Tattoo Tatau Kākau Tatatau Tātau Moko
Ten Sefulu ʻUmi Hogofulu Ahuru Tekau
T-grass Vao lima Paspalum conjugatum
Thank you Faʻafetai Mahalo
Thank you very much Faʻafetai tele lava Mahalo nui loa
Three Tolu ʻEkolu Tolu Toru Toru
Thursday Aso Tofi Poʻaha Tuʻapulelulu Mahana maha Rāpare
Ti plant ʻAutī Tī pore Cordyline fruticosa
Tide Tai Kai Tahi Tai
Tooth Nifo Niho
Tree Lāʻau Lāʻau
Tree Fern ʻOliʻolī Hāpuʻu Ponga
Tropical almond Talie Terminalia catappa
Tuesday Aso Lua Poʻalua Tūsite Mahana piti Rātū
Turmeric Ago (Lega) ʻOlena Curcuma longa
Turn Fuli Huli
Two Lua ʻElua Ua Piti Rua

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