Te ggana Tuuvalu
Tuvaluan
Austronesian (Polynesian, Ellicean)
Tuvaluan (te ggana Tūvalu) is the national language of Tuvalu, one of the world's smallest sovereign states (~11,000 inhabitants on nine atolls in the central Pacific). With ~10K speakers, it is closely related to Samoan and Tokelauan, all forming the Ellicean Polynesian subgroup. Distinctive features include geminate consonants (written double: ppoto "wisdom"), a 5-vowel system with length contrast, and an inclusive/exclusive 1st person plural distinction. The Bible (translated 1860s onwards) was foundational for the Latin orthography.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Tuvaluan
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
afi
/afi/
Sun
laa
/laː/
Moon
masina
/masina/
Mother
maatua
/maːtua/
Father
tamana
/tamana/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
Love
alofa
/alofa/
Heart
fatu
/fatu/
Tree
laakau
/laːkau/
House
fale
/fale/
Dog
kuli
/kuli/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Hand
lima
/lima/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
taalofa
/taːlofa/
Thank you
fakafetai
/fakafetai/
One
tasi
/tasi/
Good
lei
/lei/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Ellicean) languages
| Meaning | Tuvaluan | Tokelauan | Samoan | Niuean | Tongan | Cook Islands Māori | Wallisian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /aˈfi/ |
| Sun | laa /laː/ | la /la/ | lā /laː/ | lā /laː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | rā /raː/ | laʻā /laˈʔaː/ |
| Moon | masina /masina/ | malama /malama/ | māsina /maːsina/ | mahina /mahina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | marama /marama/ | māhina /maːˈhina/ |
| Mother | maatua /maːtua/ | matua /matua/ | tinā /tinaː/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | faʻē /faˈʔeː/ |
| Father | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamā /tamaː/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamai /tamai/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | tāmai /taːˈmai/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | ʻai /ʔai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /ˈinu/ |
| Love | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | ʻofa /ˈʔofa/ |
| Heart | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | mafu /ˈmafu/ |
| Tree | laakau /laːkau/ | lakau /lakau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ | akau /akau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | rākau /raːkau/ | ʻakau /ʔaˈkau/ |
| House | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | fale /ˈfale/ |
| Dog | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | maile /maile/ | kuli /kuli/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kulī /kuˈliː/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | pusi /ˈpusi/ |
| Hand | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | rima /ɾima/ | nima /ˈnima/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /ˈmata/ |
| Hello | taalofa /taːlofa/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | talofa /talofa/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | mālō te maʻuli /maːloː te maˈʔuli/ |
| Thank you | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | mālō /maːloː/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | mālō /maːˈloː/ |
| One | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | taha /taha/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | tahi /ˈtahi/ |
| Good | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | lelei /leˈlei/ |
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