Pasefika Sāmoan and Polynesian Dictionary


Sāmoan to English Dictionary



English Sāmoan Hawaiʻian Tongan Tahitian Māori Scientific
Rorippa - longrunner Aʻatasi Rorippa sarmentosa
Reef Aʻau Kuaʻau Hakau Aʻau Ākau
Culture Agānu‘u Nā ʻike a me nā hana
Custom/s (cultural) Agānu‘u Nā ʻike a me nā hana
Sāmoan culture Agānu‘u Sāmoa
Turmeric Ago (Lega) ʻOlena Curcuma longa
Family ʻĀiga Ohana Kāinga Fetiʻi Whānau
Double Hull Canoe ʻAlia Waʻa kaulua Kalia Vaʻa tāʻie tauati Waka Unua
High Chief Aliʻi Aliʻi Eiki Ariʻi Ariki
Chief Aliʻi Aliʻi Eiki Ariʻi Ariki
Premna serratifolia Aloalo Premna serratifolia
Glory bower Aloalo tai Clerodendrum inerme, Volkameria inermis
Pacific Mussaenda or Pacific flag-tree Aloalo vao Mussaenda raiateensis
Aloe vera Aloe Aloe vera
Love Alofa Aloha ʻOfa Aroha Aroha
Outrigger Ama Ama
Rock Crab Amaʻama ʻAʻama Grapsus
Orion's Belt Amoga Asterism
Coral ʻAmu ʻĀkoʻakoʻa Katoa Toʻa Kāoa Anthozoa
Ursa Major (Great Bear) Anava Constellation
Cloud Ao Ao Ao Ata Ao
Banyan or small-leaved fig ʻAoa Ficus obliqua
Small-leaved fig or Banyan ʻAoa Ficus obliqua
Giant Taro ʻApe ʻApe Alocasia macrorrhizos
April Apelila ʻApelila ʻEpeleli Eperera Āperira
Cashew tree ʻApu initia Anacardium occidentale
Yellowfin Tuna Asiasi ʻAhi Takuo ʻAʻahi Thunnus albacares
Friday Aso Falaile Poʻalima Falaite Mahana pae Rāmere
Monday Aso Gafua Poʻakahi Mōnite Monire Rāhina
Tuesday Aso Lua Poʻalua Tūsite Mahana piti Rātū
Wednesday Aso Lulu Poʻakolu Pulelulu Mahana toru Rāʻapa
Sunday Aso Sa Lapule Sāpate Tapati Rātapu
Thursday Aso Tofi Poʻaha Tuʻapulelulu Mahana maha Rāpare
Saturday Aso Toʻonaʻi Poʻaono Tokonaki Mahana maʻa Rāhoroi
Great frigatebird Atafa Fregata minor
Lesser frigatebird Atafa Fregata ariel
Leeward Atea Lalo
Beach sunflower Ateate Wollastonia biflora
Basket Ato ʻEke
Centipede Atualoa Kanapī Scolopendra subspinipes
Diospyros samoensis Auʻauli Diospyros samoensis
August Aukuso ʻAukake ʻAokosi Atete Akuhata
Bring ʻAumai Lawe mai ʻOmai Āfaʻi Mau
Hibiscus (Red) ʻAute Sāmoa Aloalo Kaute ʻAute Ponga Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Kava ʻAva ʻAwa Kava ʻAva Kava Piper methysticum
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
Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum ʻAvaʻava aitu Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum
Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum ʻAvaʻava aitu Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum
Wild ginger ʻAvapui ʻAwapuhi Zingiber zerumbet
Take, give ʻAve Lawe ʻAve Rave Tango

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