Pasefika Sāmoan and Polynesian Dictionary


Sāmoan to English Dictionary



English Sāmoan Hawaiʻian Tongan Tahitian Māori Scientific
Sun Laʻā
Plant Lāʻau Lāʻau
Tree Lāʻau Lāʻau
Candelabra bush Lāʻau failafa Senna alata
Sky Lagi Lani Langi Raʻi Rangi
Down Lalo Lalo Hifo Raro Raro
Earth (world) Lalolagi Honua Kelekele Repo Ao
Candlenut Lama Kukui Tuitui Tiʻaʻiri Aleurites moluccana
Screwpine Lau Fala Lau Hala Pandanus tectorius
Leather fern Lau gasese Davallia solida
Musk (Maile scented) Fern Lau magamaga Lauaʻe Laufale Metuapuaʻa Microsorum/Phymatosorus grossus or scolopendria
Chaff-flower Lau tamatama Achyranthes aspera
Lanceleaf Tongue Fern Lau tasi Pyrossia lanceolata
Taro bud, young shoot from corm Lauvai ʻOhā
Sea mango Leva Cerbera manghas
Pleiades (Messier 45) Liʻi Makaliʻi Star Cluster
Five Lima ʻElima Nima Pae Rima
Arm Lima Lima Nima Rima Ringa
Taro Leaf Lu‘au Lū‘au
Windward Lua Koʻolau
Two Lua ʻElua Ua Piti Rua
Up Luga Luna ʻOlunga Niʻa Runga
Front Luma Alo Muʻa Mua Mua

English to Polynesian 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