Lokaiahn Pohnpei
Pohnpeian
Austronesian (Micronesian)
Pohnpeian (lokaiahn Pohnpei) is the largest of the 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
20 core words in Pohnpeian
Water
pihl
/pihl/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
ketipin
/ketipin/
Moon
maram
/maram/
Mother
nohno
/nohno/
Father
pahpa
/paːpa/
Eat
mwenge
/mʷeŋe/
Drink
nim
/nim/
Love
limpoak
/limpoːk/
Heart
mohngion
/mohŋion/
Tree
tuhke
/tuhke/
House
ihmw
/ihmʷ/
Dog
kihdi
/kihdi/
Cat
kaht
/kaht/
Hand
peh
/peh/
Eye
mese
/mese/
Hello
kaselehlie
/kaselehlie/
Thank you
kalahngan
/kalahŋan/
One
ehu
/ehu/
Good
mwahu
/mʷahu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Micronesian) languages
| Meaning | Pohnpeian | Kosraean | Chuukese | Gilbertese | North Moluccan Malay | Iban | Ambon Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pihl /pihl/ | kof /kof/ | kkonik /kːonik/ | ran /ɾan/ | aer /aer/ | ai /ai/ | aer /aer/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | e /e/ | ekkei /ekːei/ | ai /ai/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | ketipin /ketipin/ | fihl /fihl/ | akkar /akːaɾ/ | tai /tai/ | matahari /matahari/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | mata hari /mata hari/ |
| Moon | maram /maram/ | malem /malem/ | maram /maɾam/ | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | nohno /nohno/ | nina /nina/ | in /in/ | tinau /tinau/ | mama /mama/ | indai /indai/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | pahpa /paːpa/ | papa /papa/ | sam /sam/ | tamau /tamau/ | papa /papa/ | apai /apai/ | papa /papa/ |
| Eat | mwenge /mʷeŋe/ | mongo /moŋo/ | mwóngó /mʷəŋːə/ | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | makang /makaŋ/ | makai /makai/ | makang /makaŋ/ |
| Drink | nim /nim/ | nim /nim/ | nimwomw /nimʷomʷ/ | nima /nima/ | minong /minoŋ/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | minong /minoŋ/ |
| Love | limpoak /limpoːk/ | lungse /luŋse/ | tóng /təŋ/ | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ |
| Heart | mohngion /mohŋion/ | insiac /insiats/ | lólúwáán /lələwaːn/ | nano /nano/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Tree | tuhke /tuhke/ | sak /sak/ | irá /iɾaː/ | kai /kai/ | pohong /pohoŋ/ | kayu /kaju/ | pohon /pohon/ |
| House | ihmw /ihmʷ/ | lohm /lohm/ | imw /imʷ/ | auti /auti/ | ruma /ruma/ | rumah /rumah/ | ruma /ruma/ |
| Dog | kihdi /kihdi/ | kosro /kosɾo/ | kkoluk /kːoluk/ | kamea /kamea/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | ukui /ukui/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | kaht /kaht/ | katu /katu/ | kkááset /kːaːset/ | katu /katu/ | ikung /ikuŋ/ | mayau /majau/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Hand | peh /peh/ | poun /poun/ | pói /pɔi/ | bai /bai/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | jari /dʒari/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ |
| Eye | mese /mese/ | mutahl /mutahl/ | maas /maːs/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | kaselehlie /kaselehlie/ | lwen wo /lwen wo/ | ráán annim /raːn annim/ | mauri /mauɾi/ | cerang /tʃeraŋ/ | salam /salam/ | hela /hela/ |
| Thank you | kalahngan /kalahŋan/ | kulo /kulo/ | kinisou /kinisou/ | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ |
| One | ehu /ehu/ | sefac /sefats/ | éét /eːt/ | teuana /teuana/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ |
| Good | mwahu /mʷahu/ | wo /wo/ | múrinnó /muːɾinːo/ | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | bae /bae/ | manah /manah/ | bagus /baɡus/ |
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