Proto-Polynesian language


Proto-Polynesian is the reconstructed proto-language from which all modern Polynesian languages descend. It is a descendant of the Proto-Oceanic language, itself a descendant of Proto-Austronesian. The homeland of Proto-Polynesian speakers is believed to have been Tonga, Samoa, and nearby islands.

Phonology

Proto-Polynesian has a small phonological inventory, with 13 consonants and 5 vowels.

Consonants

BilabialAlveolarVelarGlottal
Nasal
Plosive
Fricative
Approximant*l
Trill

Vowels

Proto-Polynesian had five vowels,, with no length distinction. In a number of daughter languages, successive sequences of vowels came together to produce long vowels and diphthongs, and in some languages these sounds later became phonemic.

Vocabulary

The following is a table of some sample vocabulary as it is represented orthographically in various languages. All instances of represent a glottal stop, IPA. All instances of and Samoan represent the single phoneme. The letter in all cases represents voiced alveolar tap, not.