ʻEo Enana
Marquesan
Austronesian (Polynesian, Eastern)
Marquesan is the language of the Marquesas Islands, distinct from Tahitian. The Marquesan migration was the source population for Hawaiian and Easter Island settlement, making Marquesan vocabulary central to Polynesian historical linguistics.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Marquesan
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
ʻoumati
/ʔoumati/
Moon
mahina
/mahina/
Star
hetu
/hetu/
Mother
kuʻa
/kuʔa/
Father
motua
/motua/
I
au
/au/
You
koe
/koe/
Name
ikoa
/ikoa/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
ʻima
/ʔima/
Heart
fatu
/fatu/
Love
hanahana
/hanahana/
Tree
tumu kahi
/tumu kahi/
House
hae
/hae/
Dog
peko
/peko/
Cat
piki
/piki/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
One
tahi
/tahi/
Two
ʻua
/ʔua/
Hello
kaoha
/kaoha/
Thank you
mauruuru
/mauɾuuɾu/
Good
maitaʻi
/maitaʔi/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Marquesan | Rapanui | Niuean | Tokelauan | Tuvaluan | Tongan | Cook Islands Māori |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | ʻoumati /ʔoumati/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | lā /laː/ | la /la/ | laa /laː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | rā /raː/ |
| Moon | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | malama /malama/ | masina /masina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | marama /marama/ |
| Star | hetu /hetu/ | hetuʻu /heˈtuʔu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetu /fetu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | etū /eˈtuː/ |
| Mother | kuʻa /kuʔa/ | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | mātua /maːtua/ | maatua /maːtua/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | māmā /maːmaː/ |
| Father | motua /motua/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamai /tamai/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ |
| I | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | ikoa /ikoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | hingoa /hiŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | ʻima /ʔima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | rima /ɾima/ |
| Heart | fatu /fatu/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ |
| Love | hanahana /hanahana/ | hanga /haŋa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ |
| Tree | tumu kahi /tumu kahi/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | akau /akau/ | lakau /lakau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | rākau /raːkau/ |
| House | hae /hae/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ |
| Dog | peko /peko/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ |
| Cat | piki /piki/ | kati /kati/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | ta'i /taʔi/ |
| Two | ʻua /ʔua/ | rua /ˈrua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | ua /ua/ | rua /ˈrua/ |
| Hello | kaoha /kaoha/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ |
| Thank you | mauruuru /mauɾuuɾu/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | mālō /maːloː/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
| Good | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ | riva /ɾiva/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
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