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
20 core words in Rapanui
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
raʻā
/raʔaː/
Moon
mahina
/mahina/
Mother
matuʻa
/matuʔa/
Father
matuʻa tāne
/matuʔa taːne/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
unu
/unu/
Love
hanga
/haŋa/
Heart
mahatu
/mahatu/
Tree
tumu rākau
/tumu raːkau/
House
hare
/haɾe/
Dog
paihega
/paiheŋa/
Cat
kati
/kati/
Hand
rima
/ɾima/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
ʻiorana
/ʔioɾana/
Thank you
maururu
/mauɾuɾu/
One
tahi
/tahi/
Good
riva
/ɾiva/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Rapanui | Marquesan | Niuean | Cook Islands Māori | Tuvaluan | Tokelauan | Tahitian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | pape /pape/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | auahi /auahi/ |
| Sun | raʻā /raʔaː/ | ʻoumati /ʔoumati/ | lā /laː/ | rā /raː/ | laa /laː/ | la /la/ | mahana /mahana/ |
| Moon | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | marama /marama/ | masina /masina/ | malama /malama/ | marama /maɾama/ |
| Mother | matuʻa /matuʔa/ | kuʻa /kuʔa/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | maatua /maːtua/ | matua /matua/ | māmā /maːmaː/ |
| Father | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | motua /motua/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | ʻamu /ʔamu/ |
| Drink | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | hanga /haŋa/ | hanahana /hanahana/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | here /heɾe/ |
| Heart | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | mafatu /mafatu/ |
| Tree | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | tumu kahi /tumu kahi/ | akau /akau/ | rākau /raːkau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | lakau /lakau/ | tumu rāʻau /tumu ɾaːʔau/ |
| House | hare /haɾe/ | hae /hae/ | fale /fale/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fare /faɾe/ |
| Dog | paihega /paiheŋa/ | peko /peko/ | kuli /kuli/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | ʻūrī /ʔuːɾiː/ |
| Cat | kati /kati/ | piki /piki/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | mīmī /miːmiː/ |
| Hand | rima /ɾima/ | ʻima /ʔima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | kaoha /kaoha/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | ʻia ora na /ʔia oɾa na/ |
| Thank you | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | mauruuru /mauɾuuɾu/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | māuruuru /maːuɾuuɾu/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | hōʻē /hoːʔeː/ |
| Good | riva /ɾiva/ | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ |
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