Lokaiahn Pohnpei
Pohnpeian
Austronesian (Micronesian)
Pohnpeian (lokaiahn Pohnpei) is one of the larger Micronesian languages, spoken in the Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei state and outlying atolls) by ~30K people, plus a substantial Pohnpeian diaspora in Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. mainland. Co-official in Pohnpei state alongside English. Has a vigesimal (base-20) numeral system, complex morphology with extensive suffixation, and an elaborate honorific register (meing) reserved for traditional chiefs (Nahnmwarki, Nahnken). Latin orthography with digraphs mw, ng, oa for special phonemes. Sister languages include Mokilese (mkj) and Pingelapese.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Pohnpeian
Water
pihl
/pihl/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
ketipin
/ketipin/
Moon
maram
/maram/
Star
usu
/usu/
Mother
nohno
/nohno/
Father
pahpa
/paːpa/
I
ngehi
/ŋɛhi/
You
kowe
/kowe/
Name
ede
/ɛdɛ/
Eye
pwoarenmas
/pʷɔrɛnmas/
Hand
peh
/peh/
Heart
mohngiong
/moːŋioŋ/
Love
limpoak
/limpoːk/
Tree
tuhke
/tuhke/
House
ihmw
/ihmʷ/
Dog
kihdi
/kihdi/
Cat
kaht
/kaht/
Eat
mwenge
/mʷeŋe/
Drink
nim
/nim/
One
ehu
/ehu/
Two
riau
/riːau/
Hello
kaselehlie
/kaselehlie/
Thank you
kalahngan
/kalahŋan/
Good
mwahu
/mʷahu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Micronesian) languages
| Meaning | Pohnpeian | Kosraean | Chuukese | Gilbertese | Cook Islands Māori | Rapanui | Ambon Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pihl /pihl/ | kof /kof/ | kkonik /kːonik/ | ran /ɾan/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | aer /aer/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | e /e/ | ekkei /ekːei/ | ai /ai/ | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | ketipin /ketipin/ | faht /fæt/ | akkar /akːaɾ/ | taai /taːi/ | rā /raː/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | mata hari /mata hari/ |
| Moon | maram /maram/ | malem /malem/ | maram /maɾam/ | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | marama /marama/ | mahina /mahina/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | usu /usu/ | itu /itu/ | fúú /fɨː/ | itoi /iˈtoi/ | etū /eˈtuː/ | hetuʻu /heˈtuʔu/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | nohno /nohno/ | nina /nina/ | in /in/ | tinau /tinau/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | pahpa /paːpa/ | papa /papa/ | sam /sam/ | tamau /tamau/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | ngehi /ŋɛhi/ | nga /ŋa/ | ngang /ŋaŋ/ | ngai /ŋai/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | beta /beta/ |
| You | kowe /kowe/ | kom /kom/ | en /en/ | ngkoe /ŋkoe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | ose /ose/ |
| Name | ede /ɛdɛ/ | ine /ine/ | it /iːt/ | ara /ˈara/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | nama /nama/ |
| Eye | pwoarenmas /pʷɔrɛnmas/ | mutahl /mutæl/ | maas /maːs/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | peh /peh/ | poun /poun/ | paaw /paːw/ | bai /bai/ | rima /ɾima/ | rima /ɾima/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ |
| Heart | mohngiong /moːŋioŋ/ | insiac /insiɛ/ | letip /letip/ | nano /nano/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | hati /hati/ |
| Love | limpoak /limpoːk/ | lungse /luŋse/ | tóng /təŋ/ | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | hanga /haŋa/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ |
| Tree | tuhke /tuhke/ | sak /sak/ | irá /iɾaː/ | kai /kai/ | rākau /raːkau/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | pohon /pohon/ |
| House | ihmw /ihmʷ/ | lohm /lohm/ | imw /imʷ/ | auti /auti/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | hare /haɾe/ | ruma /ruma/ |
| Dog | kihdi /kihdi/ | kosro /kosɾo/ | kkoluk /kːoluk/ | kamea /kamea/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | kaht /kaht/ | katu /katu/ | kkááset /kːaːset/ | katu /katu/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | kati /kati/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | mwenge /mʷeŋe/ | mongo /moŋo/ | mwóngó /mʷəŋːə/ | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | makang /makaŋ/ |
| Drink | nim /nim/ | nim /nim/ | nimwomw /nimʷomʷ/ | nima /nima/ | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ | minong /minoŋ/ |
| One | ehu /ehu/ | sefac /sefats/ | éét /eːt/ | teuana /teuana/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | tahi /tahi/ | satu /satu/ |
| Two | riau /riːau/ | luo /luo/ | ruu /ruːw/ | uoua /uˈoua/ | rua /ˈrua/ | rua /ˈrua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | kaselehlie /kaselehlie/ | lwen wo /lwen wo/ | ráán annim /raːn annim/ | mauri /mauɾi/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | hela /hela/ |
| Thank you | kalahngan /kalahŋan/ | kulo /kulo/ | kinisou /kinisou/ | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ |
| Good | mwahu /mʷahu/ | wo /wo/ | múrinnó /muːɾinːo/ | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | riva /ɾiva/ | bagus /baɡus/ |
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