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
20 core words in Marquesan
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
ʻoumati
/ʔoumati/
Moon
mahina
/mahina/
Mother
kuʻa
/kuʔa/
Father
motua
/motua/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
Love
hanahana
/hanahana/
Heart
fatu
/fatu/
Tree
tumu kahi
/tumu kahi/
House
hae
/hae/
Dog
peko
/peko/
Cat
piki
/piki/
Hand
ʻima
/ʔima/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
kaoha
/kaoha/
Thank you
mauruuru
/mauɾuuɾu/
One
tahi
/tahi/
Good
maitaʻi
/maitaʔi/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Marquesan | Rapanui | Niuean | Tuvaluan | Tokelauan | Cook Islands Māori | Tongan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | ʻoumati /ʔoumati/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ | la /la/ | rā /raː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ |
| Moon | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | masina /masina/ | malama /malama/ | marama /marama/ | māhina /maːhina/ |
| Mother | kuʻa /kuʔa/ | matuʻa /matuʔa/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | maatua /maːtua/ | matua /matua/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ |
| Father | motua /motua/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | tamai /tamai/ |
| 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/ |
| Love | hanahana /hanahana/ | hanga /haŋa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ |
| Heart | fatu /fatu/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | loto /loto/ |
| Tree | tumu kahi /tumu kahi/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | akau /akau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | lakau /lakau/ | rākau /raːkau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ |
| House | hae /hae/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | peko /peko/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kulī /kuliː/ |
| Cat | piki /piki/ | kati /kati/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | ʻima /ʔima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ | nima /nima/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | kaoha /kaoha/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ |
| Thank you | mauruuru /mauɾuuɾu/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | mālō /maːloː/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | taha /taha/ |
| Good | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ | riva /ɾiva/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ |
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