Motu
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western, Papuan Tip)
Motu is the indigenous Austronesian language of the Motu people of the Central Province of Papua New Guinea, centred on the Hanuabada villages near Port Moresby. The pure form has only ~14K active speakers, but Motu is the lexical source for Hiri Motu (hmo), the simplified pidgin that became one of PNG's three official languages. Motu has full Austronesian morphology including subject/object person markers, alienable/inalienable possession, and the characteristic Oceanic pronoun system, all of which Hiri Motu drastically simplified in the colonial trade context. Lister-Turner & Clark's 1931 grammar remains authoritative.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Motu
Water
ranu
/ɾanu/
Fire
lahi
/lahi/
Sun
dina
/dina/
Moon
hua
/hua/
Mother
sinana
/sinana/
Father
tamana
/tamana/
Eat
aniani
/aniani/
Drink
inuinu
/inuinu/
Love
lalokau
/lalokau/
Heart
kudouna
/kudouna/
Tree
au
/au/
House
ruma
/ɾuma/
Dog
sisia
/sisia/
Cat
gosi
/ɡosi/
Hand
imana
/imana/
Eye
matana
/matana/
Hello
namo gida
/namo ɡida/
Thank you
oi namo
/oi namo/
One
ta
/ta/
Good
namo
/namo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western, Papuan Tip) languages
| Meaning | Motu | Hiri Motu | Tetum | Fijian | Tokelauan | Atoni | Puyuma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ranu /ɾanu/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | bee /beː/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ | oe /oe/ | enay /enai/ |
| Fire | lahi /lahi/ | lahi /lahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | buka /mbuka/ | afi /afi/ | ai /ai/ | apuy /apui/ |
| Sun | dina /dina/ | dina /dina/ | loron /loɾon/ | siga /siŋa/ | la /la/ | manas /manas/ | kadaw /kadaw/ |
| Moon | hua /hua/ | hua /hua/ | fulan /fulan/ | vula /βula/ | malama /malama/ | fun /fun/ | kuwalan /kuwalan/ |
| Mother | sinana /sinana/ | sina /sina/ | inan /inan/ | tina /tina/ | matua /matua/ | ainat /ainat/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | tamana /tamana/ | tama /tama/ | aman /aman/ | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ | amat /amat/ | ama /ama/ |
| Eat | aniani /aniani/ | ania /ania/ | han /han/ | kana /kana/ | kai /kai/ | ah /ah/ | kuman /kuman/ |
| Drink | inuinu /inuinu/ | inua /inua/ | hemu /hemu/ | gunu /ŋunu/ | inu /inu/ | ninu /ninu/ | enpa /enpa/ |
| Love | lalokau /lalokau/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | domin /domin/ | loloma /loloma/ | alofa /alofa/ | nekat /nekat/ | ulaw /ulaw/ |
| Heart | kudouna /kudouna/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | fuan /fuan/ | uto /uto/ | fatu /fatu/ | nesa /nesa/ | kalumetan /kalumetan/ |
| Tree | au /au/ | au /au/ | ai /ai/ | kau /kau/ | lakau /lakau/ | hau /hau/ | kawi /kawi/ |
| House | ruma /ɾuma/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | uma /uma/ | vale /βale/ | fale /fale/ | ume /ume/ | ruma /ɾuma/ |
| Dog | sisia /sisia/ | sisia /sisia/ | asu /asu/ | koli /koli/ | kuli /kuli/ | asu /asu/ | suwan /suwan/ |
| Cat | gosi /ɡosi/ | pusi /pusi/ | busa /busa/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | mose /mose/ | kating /katiŋ/ |
| Hand | imana /imana/ | imana /imana/ | liman /liman/ | liga /liŋa/ | lima /lima/ | ʼniman /ʔniman/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | matana /matana/ | matana /matana/ | matan /matan/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | matan /matan/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | namo gida /namo ɡida/ | namona /namona/ | bondia /bondia/ | bula /mbula/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | neut /neut/ | marayas /maɾajas/ |
| Thank you | oi namo /oi namo/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | obrigadu /obɾiɡadu/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | neno biluk /neno biluk/ | kasapakan /kasapakan/ |
| One | ta /ta/ | ta /ta/ | ida /ida/ | dua /ndua/ | tahi /tahi/ | mese /mese/ | sa /sa/ |
| Good | namo /namo/ | namo /namo/ | di'ak /diʔak/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | lelei /lelei/ | malaek /malaek/ | mauruway /mauɾuwai/ |
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