Tokelau
Tokelauan
Austronesian (Polynesian, Ellicean)
Tokelauan is the language of Tokelau, a New Zealand-administered territory of three small atolls (Atafu, Nukunonu, Fakaofo) in the central Pacific with ~1,500 island residents and ~3K diaspora speakers in New Zealand. Closely related to Tuvaluan and Samoan within the Polynesian group. Notable for macron-marked long vowels (ā ē ī ō ū) in standardized orthography (1986). Used in primary education and the Tokelauan Bible (translated 1969). Has ergative-absolutive case marking, unusual within Polynesian.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tokelauan
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
afi
/afi/
Sun
la
/la/
Moon
malama
/malama/
Star
fetu
/fetu/
Mother
mātua
/maːtua/
Father
tamana
/tamana/
I
au
/au/
You
koe
/koe/
Name
igoa
/iŋoa/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
lima
/lima/
Heart
fatu
/fatu/
Love
alofa
/alofa/
Tree
lakau
/lakau/
House
fale
/fale/
Dog
kuli
/kuli/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
One
tahi
/tahi/
Two
lua
/lua/
Hello
malo ni
/malo ni/
Thank you
fakafetai
/fakafetai/
Good
lelei
/lelei/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Ellicean) languages
| Meaning | Tokelauan | Tuvaluan | Niuean | Samoan | Tongan | Pukapukan | Wallisian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | awi /ˈawi/ | afi /aˈfi/ |
| Sun | la /la/ | laa /laː/ | lā /laː/ | lā /laː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | la /la/ | laʻā /laˈʔaː/ |
| Moon | malama /malama/ | masina /masina/ | mahina /mahina/ | māsina /maːsina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | malama /maˈlama/ | māhina /maːˈhina/ |
| Star | fetu /fetu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetū /fetuː/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | wetū /wetuː/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ |
| Mother | mātua /maːtua/ | maatua /maːtua/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | tinā /tinaː/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | mama /ˈmama/ | faʻē /faˈʔeː/ |
| Father | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamā /tamaː/ | tamai /tamai/ | matua /maˈtua/ | tāmai /taːˈmai/ |
| I | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | a'u /aʔu/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | 'oe /ʔoe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | igoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | hingoa /hiŋoa/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | higoa /hiŋoa/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /ˈmata/ | mata /ˈmata/ |
| Hand | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | lima /ˈlima/ | nima /ˈnima/ |
| Heart | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ | loto /loto/ | loto /ˈloto/ | mafu /ˈmafu/ |
| Love | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | aloa /aˈloa/ | ʻofa /ˈʔofa/ |
| Tree | lakau /lakau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | akau /akau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | lākau /laːˈkau/ | ʻakau /ʔaˈkau/ |
| House | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | wale /ˈwale/ | fale /ˈfale/ |
| Dog | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | maile /maile/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kulī /kuˈliː/ | kulī /kuˈliː/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /ˈpusi/ | pusi /ˈpusi/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | ʻai /ʔai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /ˈinu/ | inu /ˈinu/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | tayi /ˈtaji/ | tahi /ˈtahi/ |
| Two | lua /lua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | lua /lua/ |
| Hello | malo ni /malo ni/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | talofa /talofa/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | kia orana /kia oˈɾana/ | mālō te maʻuli /maːloː te maˈʔuli/ |
| Thank you | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | mālō /maːloː/ | meitaki /meiˈtaki/ | mālō /maːˈloː/ |
| Good | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /leˈlei/ | lelei /leˈlei/ |
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