Pasefika Hawaiʻian and Polynesian Dictionary


Hawaiʻian to English Dictionary



English Hawaiʻian Sāmoan Tongan Tahitian Māori Scientific
Bluespotted stingray Fai Tala Neotrygon kuhlii
Burrowing Sea Urchin Tuitui Echinometra Mathaei
Coconut Crab Ūū Uʻa vāhi Birgus Latro
Person with title Matai
Palolo Worm Palolo Palola viridis
Pattern ʻĒlei
Whitebanded Triggerfish Sumu uoʻuo Rhinecanthus aculeatus
Coconut Plant Sprout Oʻo Cocos nucifera
Aloe vera Aloe Aloe vera
Portuguese man o' war Vaʻa tau Physalia physalis
Rorippa - longrunner Aʻatasi Rorippa sarmentosa
Premna serratifolia Aloalo Premna serratifolia
Glory bower Aloalo tai Clerodendrum inerme, Volkameria inermis
Pacific Mussaenda or Pacific flag-tree Aloalo vao Mussaenda raiateensis
Banyan or small-leaved fig ʻAoa Ficus obliqua
Small-leaved fig or Banyan ʻAoa Ficus obliqua
Cashew tree ʻApu initia Anacardium occidentale
Beach sunflower Ateate Wollastonia biflora
Diospyros samoensis Auʻauli Diospyros samoensis
Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum ʻAvaʻava aitu Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum
Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum ʻAvaʻava aitu Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum
Derris or New Guinea Creeper ʻAva niukini Derris malaccensis
New Guinea Creeper or Derris ʻAva niukini Derris malaccensis
Wild ginger ʻAva pui vao Zingiber zerumbet
Rukam Filimoto Flacourtia rukam
Soap bush Fisoa Colubrina asiatica
Guest tree Fuʻafuʻa Kleinhovia hospita
Epipremnum pinnatum Fue lau fao Epipremnum pinnatum
Piper graeffei Fue manogi Piper graeffei
Beach morning glory Fue moa Ipomoea pes-caprae
Mile-a-minute vine Fue saina Mikania micrantha
Wax flower Fue sele la Hoya australis
Beach pea Fue sina Vigna marina
Fish poison tree Futu Barringtonia asiatica
Coral tree Gatae Erythrina variegata
Tahitian chestnut Ifi Inocarpus fagifer
Candelabra bush Lāʻau failafa Senna alata
Leather fern Lau gasese Davallia solida
Chaff-flower Lau tamatama Achyranthes aspera
Lanceleaf Tongue Fern Lau tasi Pyrossia lanceolata
Sea mango Leva Cerbera manghas
Canarium vitiense Maʻali Canarium vitiense
Tarenna sambucina Maʻanunu Tarenna sambucina
Angular winter cherry Magalo (vi vao) Physalis angulata
Lesser Trema Māgele Trema cannabina
Mango Mago Mangifera indica
Dysoxylum samoense Maota (maota mamala) Dysoxylum samoense
Glochidion ramiflorum Maota Glochidion ramiflorum
Psychotria insularum Masame Psychotria insularum
Wild fig Mati Ficus tinctoria
Pacific rosewood Milo Thespesia populnea
Lemon grass Moegalo Cymbopogon citratus
Orange Moliʻaina Citrus sinensis
Perfume tree Mosoʻoi Cananga odorata
Simpleleaf chastetree Namulega Vitex trifolia
Bishop wood ʻOʻa Bischofia javanica
Chili pepper Polo feʻu Capsicum annuum
Tabasco Chili pepper Polo feʻu Capsicum annuum
Tahitian gardenia Pua Sāmoa Gardenia taitensis
Syzygium corynocarpum Seasea Syzygium corynocarpum
Centotheca lappacea Sefa Centotheca lappacea
Bitter yam Soi Dioscorea bulbifera
Polyscias Tagitagi Polyscias
Limeberry Talafalu Micromelum minutum
Tropical almond Talie Terminalia catappa
Beach heliotrope Tausuni Tornefortia argentea
Ironwood Toa Casuarina equisetifolia
Asiatic pennywort Togo Centella asiatica
Alphitonia zizyphoides Toi Alphitonia zizyphoides
Beach cabbage Toʻi toʻi Scaevola taccada
Euodia hortensis Usi Euodia hortensis
T-grass Vao lima Paspalum conjugatum
Otaheite apple Spondias dulcis
Ginger Fiu Zingiber officinale
Citron Tipolo Citrus medica
Pepper elder Vao Vai Peperomia pellucida
Garden Spurge Vao āpulupulu Chamaesyce hirta, Euphorbia hirta
Wild capegooseberry Vī vao Physalis angulata
Cup Ipu
Sāmoan culture Agānu‘u Sāmoa
Great frigatebird Atafa Fregata minor
Lesser frigatebird Atafa Fregata ariel
Brown noddy Gogo Anous stolidus
Orion's Belt Amoga Asterism
Saturn Fetū tea Planet
Venus Tapuitea Planet
Jupiter Tupualengase Planet
Ursa Major (Great Bear) Anava Constellation
Meteoroid (Shooting Star) Fetū Afi Meteoroid


English to Polynesian Dictionary



Sāmoan 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