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
20 core words in Tokelauan
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
afi
/afi/
Sun
la
/la/
Moon
malama
/malama/
Mother
matua
/matua/
Father
tamana
/tamana/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
Love
alofa
/alofa/
Heart
fatu
/fatu/
Tree
lakau
/lakau/
House
fale
/fale/
Dog
kuli
/kuli/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Hand
lima
/lima/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
malo ni
/malo ni/
Thank you
fakafetai
/fakafetai/
One
tahi
/tahi/
Good
lelei
/lelei/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Ellicean) languages
| Meaning | Tokelauan | Tuvaluan | Niuean | Samoan | Tongan | Pukapukan | Cook Islands Māori |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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/ | yayi /ˈjaji/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | la /la/ | laa /laː/ | lā /laː/ | lā /laː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | la /la/ | rā /raː/ |
| Moon | malama /malama/ | masina /masina/ | mahina /mahina/ | māsina /maːsina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | malama /maˈlama/ | marama /marama/ |
| Mother | matua /matua/ | maatua /maːtua/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | tinā /tinaː/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | mama /ˈmama/ | māmā /maːmaː/ |
| Father | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamā /tamaː/ | tamai /tamai/ | matua /maˈtua/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ |
| 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 /inu/ |
| Love | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | aloha /aˈloha/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ |
| Heart | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ | loto /loto/ | loto /ˈloto/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ |
| Tree | lakau /lakau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | akau /akau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | lākau /laːˈkau/ | rākau /raːkau/ |
| House | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | wale /ˈwale/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ |
| Dog | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | maile /maile/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kulī /kuˈliː/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /ˈpusi/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ |
| Hand | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | lima /ˈlima/ | rima /ɾima/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /ˈmata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | malo ni /malo ni/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | talofa /talofa/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | kia orana /kia oˈɾana/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ |
| Thank you | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | mālō /maːloː/ | meitaki /meiˈtaki/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | tayi /ˈtaji/ | ta'i /taʔi/ |
| Good | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /leˈlei/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
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