Pasefika Tahitian and Polynesian Dictionary


Tahitian to English Dictionary



English Tahitian Sāmoan Hawaiʻian Tongan Māori Scientific
Four Maha Fa ʻEha Fa Wha
Saturday Mahana maʻa Aso Toʻonaʻi Poʻaono Tokonaki Rāhoroi
Thursday Mahana maha Aso Tofi Poʻaha Tuʻapulelulu Rāpare
Friday Mahana pae Aso Falaile Poʻalima Falaite Rāmere
Tuesday Mahana piti Aso Lua Poʻalua Tūsite Rātū
Wednesday Mahana toru Aso Lulu Poʻakolu Pulelulu Rāʻapa
Dolphinfish Mahimahi Masimasi Mahimahi Mahimahi Coryphaena hippurus
Banana Maiʻa Faʻi Maiʻa Siaine Maika Musa
Shark Maʻo Malie Manō ʻAnga Mangō
Compass 090° E Maoaʻe Sasaʻe Hikina Hahake Marangai E 90°
East Maoaʻe Sasaʻe Hikina Hahake Marangai E 90°
Compass 146.25° SEbS Maraʻaiʻaru Nālani Malanai Ngā Rangi Marangai SEbS 146.25°
Compass 135° SE Maraʻamu Saute i Sasaʻe Manu Malanai Tonga Hahake Manu Marangai SE 135°
South East Maraʻamu Saute i Sasaʻe Malani Tonga Hahake Pitonga SE 135°
Shelter Maru Malu Malu Malu Maru
Eye Mata Mata Maka Foʻi Mata Karu
Wind Mataʻi Matagi Makani Matangi Hau
March Mati Mati Malaki Maʻasi Maehe
Mars Maunu ʻura Matamemea Hōkūʻula Matawhero
May Me Me Mei Mei
Musk (Maile scented) Fern Metuapuaʻa Lau magamaga Lauaʻe Laufale Microsorum/Phymatosorus grossus or scolopendria
Sea Miti Sami Kai Tahi Moana
Salt Miti Popaʻā Māsima Paʻakai Māsima Tote NaCl or Sodium Chloride
Chicken Moa Moa Moa Moa Heihei Gallus gallus
Ocean Moana Moana Moana Moana Moana
Compass 337.5° NNW Mohio Mātū Mātū i Sisifo Nā Leo Hoʻolua Tokelau Tokelauhihifo Ngā Reo Whakararo NNW 337.5°
Monday Monire Aso Gafua Poʻakahi Mōnite Rāhina
Island Motu Motu Moku Motu Motu
Mountain Mouʻa Mauga Mauna Moʻuga Maunga
Front Mua Luma Alo Muʻa Mua

English to Polynesian Dictionary



Sāmoan to English Dictionary



Hawaiʻian to English Dictionary



Tongan 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