Pasefika Māori and Polynesian Dictionary
Māori to English Dictionary
English | Māori | Sāmoan | Hawaiʻian | Tongan | Tahitian | Scientific |
Blacktip Reef Shark | Malie Alamata | Manō pāʻele | Carcharhinus melanopterus | |||
Bluespotted stingray | Fai Tala | Neotrygon kuhlii | ||||
Burrowing Sea Urchin | Tuitui | Echinometra Mathaei | ||||
Coconut Crab | Ūū | Uʻa vāhi | Birgus Latro | |||
Dolphinfish | Masimasi | Mahimahi | Mahimahi | Mahimahi | Coryphaena hippurus | |
Fluted Giant Clam | Faisua | ʻOlepe | Tridacna Squamosa | |||
High Ranking Title | Matai | |||||
Inland | Gāʻuta | Mauka | ||||
Leeward | Atea | Lalo | ||||
Manta Ray | Fai Malie | Hāhālua | Manta Birostris | |||
North East | Mātū i Sasaʻe | Koʻolau | Tokelau Hahake | Haʻapiti | NE 45° | |
Oceanside | Gātai | Makai | ||||
Outrigger | Ama | Ama | ||||
Palolo Worm | Palolo | Palola viridis | ||||
Pattern | ʻĒlei | |||||
Rock Crab | Amaʻama | ʻAʻama | Grapsus | |||
Scalloped Hammerhead | Mataʻitaliga | Manō kihikihi | Sphyrna lewini | |||
Skipjack Tuna | Aku | Katsuwonus pelamis | ||||
Wahoo | Paāla | Ono | Valu Louniu | Pāere | Acanthocybium solandari | |
Wedge-tail Triggerfish | Sumu aloalo | Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa | Rhinecanthus rectangulus | |||
Whitebanded Triggerfish | Sumu uoʻuo | Rhinecanthus aculeatus | ||||
Windward | Lua | Koʻolau | ||||
Yellowfin Tuna | Asiasi | ʻAhi | Takuo | ʻAʻahi | Thunnus albacares | |
Great Morinda | Nonu | Noni | Nonu | Nono | Morinda Citrifolia | |
Musk (Maile scented) Fern | Lau magamaga | Lauaʻe | Laufale | Metuapuaʻa | Microsorum/Phymatosorus grossus or scolopendria | |
Candlenut | Lama | Kukui | Tuitui | Tiʻaʻiri | Aleurites moluccana | |
Hibiscus (Beach) | Fau | Hau | Fau | Pūrau | Hibiscus tiliaceus | |
Plumeria | Pua | Melia | Kalosipani | Tīpanīe | Plumeria |
English to Polynesian Dictionary
Sāmoan to English Dictionary
Hawaiʻian to English Dictionary
Tongan to English Dictionary
Tahitian 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