Samoan language
| Samoan | |
|---|---|
| gagana Sāmoa | |
| Native to | Samoa, American Samoa |
| Region | Spoken as first language on Samoan Islands Samoa and American Samoa, with substantial communities of speakers in New Zealand, Australia and the U.S. |
Native speakers | 570,337 total speakers according to Ethnologue (2005) |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Samoa (199,377 speakers) and American Samoa (56,700 speakers) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | sm |
| ISO 639-2 | smo |
| ISO 639-3 | smo |
The Sāmoan[1] or Samoan language is the traditional language of Samoa and American Samoa and is an official language — alongside English — in both jurisdictions. It is a member of the Austronesian family, and more specifically the Samoic branch of the Polynesian subphylum.
There are approximately 570,337 Samoan-speakers worldwide, 69% of who live in the Samoan Islands. Thereafter, the greatest concentration is in New Zealand, where people of Samoan ethnicity comprise the fifth largest group after New Zealand European, Māori, New Zealander and Chinese: the 2006 New Zealand census recorded 95,428 speakers of the Samoan language, and 141,103 people of Samoan ethnicity. Among ethnic Samoans in New Zealand, 70.5 percent of the Samoan speakers (87,109 people) could speak Samoan. Samoan is the 4th most commonly spoken language in New Zealand after English, Maori and Chinese. The majority of Samoans in New Zealand (66.4 per cent) reside in the commercial capital, Auckland. Of those who speak Samoan, 67.4 percent live in Auckland and 70.4 percent of people who are both of Samoan ethnicity and Samoan speakers live in that city.
According to the 2006 census, there were 38,525 speakers of Samoan in Australia, and 39,992 people of Samoan ancestry.
Writing systems
The Samoan alphabet consists of 15 letters, plus three (H, K, R) that are only used in loanwords:
| Aa, Āā | Ee, Ēē | Ff | Gg | Hh | Ii, Īī | Kk | Ll | Mm | Nn | Oo, Ōō | Pp | Rr | Ss | Tt | Uu, Ūū | Vv | ‘ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /ə/, /aː/ | /ɛ/, /eː/ | /f/ | /ŋ/ | (/h/) | /ɪ/, /iː/ | /k/ | /l, ɾ/ | /m/ | /n/, /ŋ/ | /o/, /ɔː/ | /p/ | /l/ | /s/ | /t/, /k/ | /ʊ/, /uː/ | /v/ | /ʔ/ |
In formal Samoan, /k/ is only found in puke! 'catch!'. However, in colloquial speech /t/ has come to be pronounced [k], and in addition /n/ has merged with /ŋ/ as [ŋ].
/l/ is pronounced [ɾ] following a back vowel (/a, o, u/) and preceding an /i/. /s/ is less sibilant than in English.
Metathesis of consonants is frequent, such as manu for namu 'scent', lava‘au for vala‘au 'to call', but vowels may not be mixed up in this way.
Phonology
Samoan syllable structure is (C)V. Vowels are length-distinct in Samoan.
Grammar
Personal pronouns
Like many Austronesian languages, Samoan has separate words for inclusive and exclusive we, and distinguishes singular, dual, and plural. The root for the inclusive pronoun may occur in the singular, in which case it indicates emotional involvement on the part of the speaker.
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First person exclusive | a‘u , ‘ou | mā‘ua, mā | mātou |
| First person inclusive | tā | tā‘ua, tā | tātou |
| Second person | ‘oe, ‘e | ‘oulua | ‘outou, tou |
| Third person | ia / na | lā‘ua | lātou |
In formal speech, fuller forms of the roots mā-, tā-, and lā- are ‘imā-, ‘itā-, and ‘ilā-.
Vocabulary
Common phrases and words
| English | Samoan | Pronounce[citation needed] |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | ‘ioe | ee-yo-eh |
| No | Leai | leh-a-ee |
| Please | Fa‘amolemole | fah-ah-moh-leh-moh-leh |
| Thank you | Fa‘afetai | fah-ah-feh-tie |
| That's all right | ‘Ua lelei | oo-wah leh-lei |
| big - small | tele - la‘itiiti | teh-leh - lie-tee-tee |
| quick - slow | vave/tope - gese | vah-veh/toh-beh - ngeh-seh |
| early - late | vave - tuai | vah-veh - too-wai |
| cheap - expensive | taugōfie - taugatā | tah-oo-ngoh-fee-eh - tah-oo-ngah-tar |
| near - far | latalata - mamao | lar-tah-lar-tah - mar-mar-awe |
| hot - cold | vevela - malulū | ve-veh-lah - mar-loo-loo |
| full - empty | tumu - gaogao | too-moo - ngah-or-ngah-or |
| easy - difficult | faigōfie - faigatā | fah-ee-ngoh-fee-eh - fah-ee-ngah-tar |
| heavy - light | mamafa - māma | mar-mar-far - mah-mar |
| open - shut | tatala - tapuni | tar-tah-lah - tah-boo-nee |
| right - wrong | sa‘o - sesē | sar-awe - se-seh |
| old - new | tuai - fou | too-wai - for-oo |
| old - young | matua - talavou | mah-tuwah - tah-lah-voh-oo |
| beautiful - ugly | 'aulelei / 'auleaga | aw-leh-lay - aw-leh-ah-ngah |
| good - bad | lelei - leaga | leh-lay - leh-ah-ngah |
| better - worse | feoloolo - leaga tele | feh-or-loh-loh - leh-angah teh-leh |
References
- Milner, G.B. 1993, 1966. Samoan Dictionary. Polynesian Press. ISBN 0 908597 12 6
- Payne, Thomas E. 1997. Describing morphosyntax: a guide for field linguists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-58224-5.
External links
- ^ Unattributed. "Samoa: Languages". Samoa. Polynesian Cultural Center. Retrieved 2008-08-21. This page from the Polynesian Cultural Center in Honolulu describes native pronuniciation of "Sāmoa."