Tahitian language
463361
218072740
2008-06-09T01:02:58Z
AlexiusHoratius
2306142
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/60.234.160.218|60.234.160.218]] ([[User talk:60.234.160.218|talk]]) to last version by Epbr123
{{language
|name=Tahitian
|nativename=Reo Tahiti<br>Reo Mā'ohi
|familycolor=Austronesian
|states=[[French Polynesia]]
|speakers=120,000
|fam2=[[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]](MP)
|fam3=[[Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages|Central-Eastern MP]]
|fam4=[[Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages|Eastern MP]]
|fam5=[[Oceanic languages|Oceanic]]
|fam6=[[Central-Eastern Oceanic languages|Central-Eastern Oceanic]]
|fam7=[[Remote Oceanic languages|Remote Oceanic]]
|fam8=[[Central Pacific languages|Central Pacific]]
|fam9=[[East Fijian-Polynesian languages|East Fijian-Polynesian]]
|fam10=[[Polynesian languages|Polynesian]]
|fam11=[[Nuclear Polynesian languages|Nuclear Polynesian]]
|fam12=[[Eastern Polynesian languages|Eastern Polynesian]]
|fam13=[[Central Eastern Polynesian languages|Central E. Polynesian]]
|fam14=[[Tahitic languages|Tahitic]]
|iso1=ty|iso2=tah|iso3=tah}}
'''Tahitian''', a [[Tahitic languages|Tahitic language]], is one of the two official languages of [[French Polynesia]] (along with [[French language|French]]). It is an Eastern [[Polynesian]] language closely related to [[Rarotongan language|Rarotongan]], [[Māori language|New Zealand Māori]], and [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]].
== Geographic spread ==
Tahitian is primarily spoken in the Îles de la Société ([[Society Islands]]), which includes, notably, the island of [[Tahiti]] (which is where the capital of [[French Polynesia]], [[Papeete|Pape’ete]], is situated). It is also spoken on the ''Tuha’a pae'' (les Australes, the five [[Austral Islands]]) and on the islands of l'Archipel des Tuamotu as a second language (the [[Tuamotu Archipelago]]). The languages of the Marquesan group (see [[Marquesic languages]]) are completely distinct. In general, the peoples of French Polynesia who speak one language, speak French, if two, then Tahitian is added, if three, then their local language or dialect is added. Furthermore, there is a diverse diaspora of Tahitian speakers throughout Oceania, including pockets as far south as New Zealand.
With respect to cognate languages, some oft-quoted figures include 76% lexical similarity with Hawaiian and 85% with Rarotongan. For example - Tahitian ''ra’i'' (sky) is ''lani'' in Hawaiian, and ''rangi'' in both Rarotongan and Māori. Another example is ''fare'' (house), represented by ''hale'' in Hawaiian, '''are'' in Rarotongan and ''whare'' in Māori (where 'wh' is approximately pronounced 'f').
Considering the distance between, for example, Hawai{{okina}}i and Tahiti, this degree of similarity is of particular note. Both the Hawaiians and the Tahitians have lived in their respective archipelagos for centuries; infrequent contact between the two cultures was made using double-hulled sailing canoes. [[Captain Cook]] mentions the large canoes being used in the 1760's. To celebrate this feat of ocean navigation, the vessel ''[[Hokule'a|Hōkūle{{okina}}a]]'' traveled from Honolulu to Papeete in 1976. It is of note that the Tahitian language was even used at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2006]], when Monaco's [[Severine Fernier]] performed [[La Coco Dance]] which featured Tahitian chanting.
== Alphabet ==
Typologically, Tahitian word order is VSO (Verb-Subject-Object), which is typical of Polynesian languages. It also features a very small number of phonemes, as further evidence of its linguistic heritage: five vowels and eight consonants not counting the lengthened vowels, [[diphthong]]s and the [[glottal stop]].
{| class="wikitable"
! align="center" rowspan="2"|letter
! align="center" rowspan="2"|name
! align="center" colspan="2"|pronunciation
! align="center" rowspan="2"|notes
|-
! align="center"|[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
! align="center"|English<br/>approximation
|-
| align="center"|'''a'''
| align="center"|’ā
| align="center"| {{IPA|/a/, /ɑː/}}
| align="center"|'''a''': b''u''tter, '''ā''': f''a''ther
|-
| align="center"|'''e'''
| align="center"|’ē
| align="center"| {{IPA|/e/, /eː/}}
| align="center"|'''e''': l''a''te, '''ē''': same but longer
|-
| align="center"|'''f'''
| align="center"|fā
| align="center"| {{IPA|/f/}}
| align="center"|''f''riend
| align="center"|becomes bilabial {{IPA|[ɸ]}} after '''o''' and '''u'''
|-
| align="center"|'''h'''
| align="center"|hē
| align="center"| {{IPA|/h/}}
| align="center"|''h''ouse
| align="center"|becomes {{IPA|[ʃ]}} (as in English ''sh''oe) after '''i''' and before '''o''' or '''u'''
|-
| align="center"|'''i'''
| align="center"|’ī
| align="center"| {{IPA|/i/, /iː/}}
| align="center"|as in mach''i''ne
| align="center"|may become diphthong ''ai'' in some words like ''rahi''
|-
| align="center"|'''m'''
| align="center"|mō
| align="center"| {{IPA|/m/}}
| align="center"|''m''ouse
|-
| align="center"|'''n'''
| align="center"|nū
| align="center"| {{IPA|/n/}}
| align="center"|''n''ap
|-
| align="center"|'''o'''
| align="center"|’ō
| align="center"| {{IPA|/ɔ/, /oː/}}
| align="center"|'''o''': n''ough''t, '''ō''': g''o''
| align="center"|
|-
| align="center"|'''p'''
| align="center"|pī
| align="center"| {{IPA|/p/}}
| align="center"|s''p''onge (not aspirated)
|-
| align="center"|'''r'''
| align="center"|rō
| align="center"| {{IPA|/r/}}
| align="center"|-
| align="center"|[[alveolar trill]]
|-
| align="center"|'''t'''
| align="center"|tī
| align="center"| {{IPA|/t/}}
| align="center"|s''t''and (not aspirated)
|-
| align="center"|'''u'''
| align="center"|’ū
| align="center"| {{IPA|/u/, /uː/}}
| align="center"|'''u''': f''oo''t, '''ū''': m''oo''
| align="center"|strong lip rounding
|-
| align="center"|'''v'''
| align="center"|vī
| align="center"| {{IPA|/v/}}
| align="center"|''v''ine
| align="center"|becomes bilabial ({{IPA|[β]}}) after '''o''' and '''u'''
|-
| align="center"|'''’'''
| align="center"|’eta
| align="center"| {{IPA|/ʔ/}}
| align="center"|uh''-''oh
| align="center"|[[glottal stop]] beginning each syllable
|-
|}
The glottal stop or ''’eta'' is a genuine consonant. (People unfamiliar with Tahitian might mistake it for a punctuation mark.) This is typical of [[Polynesian languages]] (compare to the Hawaiian [[okina|{{okina}}okina]] and others). However, in Tahitian the glottal stops are seldom written in practice, and if they are, often as a straight [[apostrophe]] ''' ' ''', instead of the curly apostrophe. The native speakers know where to pronounce them and are not taught to write them down. Alphabetical word ordering in dictionaries ignores the existence of glottals. Admittedly, the Tahitian glottal is normally weak, except in a few words like ''i’a'' (fish), and easily missed by the untrained ear of the non-native speaker.
Tahitian makes a phonemic distinction between long and short vowels; long vowels are marked with a ''tārava'' or [[macron]]. For example, ''pāto'', meaning "to pick, to pluck" and ''pato'', "to break out", are distinguished solely by their [[vowel length]]. However, macrons are seldom written.
Finally there is a ''toro ’a’ï'', a [[Umlaut (diacritic)|trema]] put on the '''i''', but only used in ''ïa'' when used as a [[reflexive pronoun]]. It does not indicate a different pronunciation.
Although the use of ''’eta'' and ''tārava'' is equal to the usage of such symbols in other Polynesian languages, is promoted by ''l'Académie Tahitienne'', and is adopted by the territorial government, there are at least a dozen other ways of applying accents. Some methods are historical and no longer used, while others are heavily promoted by people who think they know better. This only adds to the confusion. [http://www.farevanaa.pf/theme_detail.php?id=5 See list]. At this moment l'Académie Tahitienne seems to have not made a final decision yet whether the `eta should appear as a small normal curly comma (’) or a small inverted curly comma (‘). Compare [['okina]].
Further, Tahitian syllables are entirely open, as is usual in Polynesian languages. In its [[Morphology (linguistics)|morphology]], Tahitian relies on the use of "helper words" (such as [[preposition]]s, [[article (grammar)|article]]s, and [[grammatical particle|particle]]s) to encode grammatical relationships, rather than on inflection, as would be typical of European languages. It is practically an [[isolating language]], except when it comes to the [[personal pronoun]]s, which have separate forms for [[Grammatical number|singular]], [[plural]] and [[dual grammatical number|dual number]]s.
== Taboo names (pi’i) ==
In many parts of Polynesia the name of an important leader was (and sometimes still is) considered sacred and was therefore accorded appropriate respect. In order to avoid offence, all words resembling such a name were suppressed and replaced by another term of related meaning until the personage died. If, however, the leader should happen to live to a very great age this temporary substitution could become permanent.
In the rest of Polynesia ''tū'' means to stand, but in Tahitian it is ''ti’a'', because of king [[Pomare I|Tū-nui-’ē’a-i-te-atua]]. likewise ''fetū'' (star) has become in Tahiti ''feti’a'' and aratū (pillar) became arati’a. Although ''nui'' (big) still occurs in some compounds, like Tahiti-nui, the normal word is ''rahi'' (which is common Polynesian for 'large'). And also ''’ē’a'' fell in disuse, replaced by ''purūmu'' or ''porōmu''. Nowadays ''’ē’a'' means 'path', ''purūmu'' is 'road'.
Tū also had a nickname, Pō-mare (night coughing), under which his [[List of Rulers of Tahiti|dynasty]] has become best known. By consequence ''pō'' (night) became ''ru`i'' (nowadays only used in the [[Bible]], pō having become the normal word again), but ''mare'' (literally cough) has irreversibly been replaced by ''hota''.
Other examples: ''vai'' (water) became ''pape'' as in the names of Papeari, Papeno’o, Pape’ete. ''moe'' (sleep) became ''ta’oto'' (the original meaning of which was 'to lie down'). Some of the old words are still used on the [[Leeward Islands (Society Islands)|Leewards]].
==See also==
* [[Lord Monboddo]]
* [[wikt:Appendix:Tahitian Swadesh list|Swadesh list of Tahitian words]]
==External links==
{{interwiki|code=ty}}
*[http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/Tahitian-english/ Tahitian–English dictionary]
*[http://www.farevanaa.pf/ Académie Tahitienne — Fare Vāna’a]
*[http://www.punareo.pf/web/index.php?lang=fp Puna Reo — Cultural Association, English section too]
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.cadeaux-express.com/tahiti/lexique-tahitien.php Lexique Français–Tahitien (with some english words)]
*[http://zipangz.homestead.com/index.html A short English–Tahitian–Japanese phrasebook] incl. sound files
==References==
*Y. Lemaître; Lexique du tahitien contemporain; 1973 ISBN 2-7099-0228-1
* same; second, reviewed edition, 1995 ISBN 2-7099-1247-3
*T. Henry; Ancient Tahiti – Tahiti aux temps anciens
*D.T. Tryon; Conversational Tahitian; ANU 1970
[[Category:Society Islands]]
[[Category:Tahitic languages]]
[[Category:Languages of French Polynesia]]
[[Category:Language of Tahiti]]
{{Link FA|ca}}
[[ar:لغة تاهيتية]]
[[br:Tahitieg]]
[[ca:Tahitià]]
[[de:Tahitianische Sprache]]
[[es:Idioma tahitiano]]
[[fr:Tahitien]]
[[ko:타히티어]]
[[lt:Taitiečių kalba]]
[[lij:Lengua tahitiann-a]]
[[mi:Reo Tahiti]]
[[nl:Tahitiaans]]
[[no:Tahitisk]]
[[pl:Język tahitański]]
[[pt:Língua taitiana]]
[[ty:Reo Tahiti]]
[[fi:Tahitin kieli]]