Vagahau Niue
Niuean
Austronesian (Polynesian, Tongic)
Niuean (ko e vagahau Niuē) is the language of the small Pacific nation of Niue, with ~9K speakers (most of whom now live in New Zealand following extensive 20th-century migration). Closely related to Tongan within the Tongic Polynesian subgroup, Niuean preserves several archaic Polynesian features. Co-official with English in Niue. Uses VSO word order with ergative-absolutive case marking. The Niue Bible (1860s, Polynesian Mission) was foundational. Today Niuean is taught as a heritage language in New Zealand schools where most ethnic Niueans (~30K) reside.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Niuean
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
afi
/afi/
Sun
lā
/laː/
Moon
mahina
/mahina/
Star
fetū
/feˈtuː/
Mother
matua fifine
/matua fifine/
Father
matua taane
/matua taːne/
I
au
/au/
You
koe
/koe/
Name
higoa
/hiˈŋoa/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
lima
/lima/
Heart
fatu
/fatu/
Love
fakaalofa
/fakaalofa/
Tree
akau
/akau/
House
fale
/fale/
Dog
kuli
/kuli/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
One
taha
/taha/
Two
ua
/ua/
Hello
fakaalofa atu
/fakaalofa atu/
Thank you
fakaaue
/fakaaue/
Good
mitaki
/mitaki/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Tongic) languages
| Meaning | Niuean | Tuvaluan | Tokelauan | Tongan | Samoan | Tuamotuan | Rapanui |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /wai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ | la /la/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | lā /laː/ | ra /ra/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ |
| Moon | mahina /mahina/ | masina /masina/ | malama /malama/ | māhina /maːhina/ | māsina /maːsina/ | marama /marama/ | mahina /mahina/ |
| Star | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetu /fetu/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | fetū /fetuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | hetuʻu /heˈtuʔu/ |
| Mother | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | maatua /maːtua/ | mātua /maːtua/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | tinā /tinaː/ | metua vahine /metua vahine/ | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ |
| Father | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamai /tamai/ | tamā /tamaː/ | metua tane /metua tane/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ |
| I | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | a'u /aʔu/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | 'oe /ʔoe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | hingoa /hiŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /rima/ | rima /ɾima/ |
| Heart | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ | loto /loto/ | — /—/ | mahatu /mahatu/ |
| Love | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | aroha /ʔaroha/ | hanga /haŋa/ |
| Tree | akau /akau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | lakau /lakau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ | rait /rait/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ |
| House | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fare /fare/ | hare /haɾe/ |
| Dog | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kulī /kuliː/ | maile /maile/ | kuri /kuri/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | — /—/ | kati /kati/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | ʻai /ʔai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ |
| One | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Two | ua /ua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | lua /lua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | rua /rua/ | rua /ˈrua/ |
| Hello | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | talofa /talofa/ | — /—/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ |
| Thank you | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | mālō /maːloː/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | — /—/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ |
| Good | mitaki /mitaki/ | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | maiata /maiata/ | riva /ɾiva/ |
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