Vananga Rapa Nui
Rapanui
Austronesian (Polynesian, Eastern)
Rapanui is the indigenous language of Easter Island. It is the most isolated Polynesian language, having been separated from its relatives for over a millennium. The undeciphered Rongorongo script of the island remains one of linguistics' great mysteries.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Rapanui
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
raʻā
/raʔaː/
Moon
mahina
/mahina/
Star
hetuʻu
/heˈtuʔu/
Mother
matuʻa vahine
/matuʔa vahine/
Father
matuʻa tāne
/matuʔa taːne/
I
au
/au/
You
koe
/koe/
Name
ingoa
/iˈŋoa/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
rima
/ɾima/
Heart
mahatu
/mahatu/
Love
hanga
/haŋa/
Tree
tumu rākau
/tumu raːkau/
House
hare
/haɾe/
Dog
paihega
/paiheŋa/
Cat
kati
/kati/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
unu
/unu/
One
tahi
/tahi/
Two
rua
/ˈrua/
Hello
ʻiorana
/ʔioɾana/
Thank you
maururu
/mauɾuɾu/
Good
riva
/ɾiva/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Rapanui | Marquesan | Cook Islands Māori | Niuean | Tuvaluan | Tuamotuan | Tongan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /wai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | raʻā /raʔaː/ | ʻoumati /ʔoumati/ | rā /raː/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ | ra /ra/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ |
| Moon | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | marama /marama/ | mahina /mahina/ | masina /masina/ | marama /marama/ | māhina /maːhina/ |
| Star | hetuʻu /heˈtuʔu/ | hetu /hetu/ | etū /eˈtuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ |
| Mother | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ | kuʻa /kuʔa/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | maatua /maːtua/ | metua vahine /metua vahine/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ |
| Father | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | motua /motua/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | metua tane /metua tane/ | tamai /tamai/ |
| 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 | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | ikoa /ikoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | hingoa /hiŋoa/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | rima /ɾima/ | ʻima /ʔima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /rima/ | nima /nima/ |
| Heart | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | — /—/ | loto /loto/ |
| Love | hanga /haŋa/ | hanahana /hanahana/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | aroha /ʔaroha/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ |
| Tree | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | tumu kahi /tumu kahi/ | rākau /raːkau/ | akau /akau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | rait /rait/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ |
| House | hare /haɾe/ | hae /hae/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fare /fare/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | paihega /paiheŋa/ | peko /peko/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuri /kuri/ | kulī /kuliː/ |
| Cat | kati /kati/ | piki /piki/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | — /—/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ |
| Two | rua /ˈrua/ | ʻua /ʔua/ | rua /ˈrua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | rua /rua/ | ua /ua/ |
| Hello | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | kaoha /kaoha/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | — /—/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ |
| Thank you | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | mauruuru /mauɾuuɾu/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | — /—/ | mālō /maːloː/ |
| Good | riva /ɾiva/ | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lei /lei/ | maiata /maiata/ | lelei /lelei/ |
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