Tongan language

Related languages

1. Tongan has retained the original proto-Polynesian *h, but has merged it with the original *s as.. Most Polynesian languages have lost the original proto-Polynesian glottal stop ; however, it has been retained in Tongan and a few other languages including Rapa Nui.
2. In proto-Polynesian, *r and *l were distinct phonemes, but in most Polynesian languages they have merged, represented orthographically as in most East Polynesian languages, and as in most West Polynesian languages. However, the distinction can be reconstructed because Tongan kept the *l but lost the *r.

Writing

History

Alphabet

1. written as g but still pronounced as before 1943
2. unaspirated; written as b before 1943
3. sometimes written as j before 1943
4. the glottal stop. It should be written with the modifier letter turned comma and not with the single quote open or with a mixture of quotes open and quotes close. See also okina.

Phonology

Consonants

Syllabification

• Each syllable has exactly one vowel. The number of syllables in a word is exactly equal to the number of vowels it has.
• Long vowels, indicated with a toloi, count as one, but may in some circumstances be split up in two short ones, in which case, they are both written. Toloi are supposed to be written where needed, in practice this may be seldom done.
• Each syllable may have no more than one consonant.
• Consonant combinations are not permitted. The ng is not a consonant combination, since it represents a single sound. As such it can never be split, the proper hyphenation of fakatonga therefore is fa-ka-to-nga.
• Each syllable must end in a vowel. All vowels are pronounced, but an i at the end of an utterance is usually unvoiced.
• The fakaua is a consonant. It must be followed by a vowel. Unlike the glottal stops in many other Polynesian languages texts, the fakaua is always written.
• Stress normally falls on the next-to-last syllable of a word with two or more syllables; example: móhe, mohénga. If, however, the last vowel is long, it takes the stress; example: kumā . The stress also shifts to the last vowel if the next word is an enclitic; example: fále, falé ni. Finally the stress can shift to the last syllable, including an enclitic, in case of the definitive accent; example: mohengá, fale ní. It is also here that a long vowel can be split into two short ones; example: pō, poó ni, pō ní. Or the opposite: maáma, māmá ni, maama ní. There are some exceptions to the above general rules. The stress accent is normally not written, except where it is to indicate the definitive accent or fakamamafa. But here, too, people often neglect to write it, only using it when the proper stress cannot be easily derived from the context.

Grammar

Articles

• indefinite a
• definite the

• indefinite, nonspecific: ha. Example: ko ha fale
• indefinite, specific: e. Example: ko e fale
• definite, specific: e with the shifted ultimate stress. Example: ko e falé.

Registers

• ordinary words
• honorific words
• regal words

• polite words
• derogatory words

• ordinary: hau o kai ; Friends, family members and so forth may say this to each other when invited for dinner.
• honorific: mea mai pea ilo ; The proper used towards chiefs, particularly the nobles, but it may also be used by an employee towards his boss, or in other similar situations. When talking about chiefs, however, it is always used, even if they are not actually present, but in other situations only on formal occasions. A complication to the beginning student of Tongan is that such words very often also have an alternative meaning in the ordinary register: mea and ilo.
• regal: hāele mai pea taumafa ; Used towards the king or God. The same considerations as for the honorific register apply. Hāele is one of the regal words which have become the normal word in other Polynesian languages.

Pronouns

Subjective and objective

But what about those innumerable cases in which the possessive can hardly be said to correspond either to the subject or to the object of a verb? What, for example, is the rule or the guiding principle, which lies behind the fact that a Tongan says eku paanga for ' my money' but hoku fale for 'my house'?
It may be stated as follows: the use of eku for 'my' implies that I am active, influential, or formative, &c., towards the thing mentioned, whereas the use of hoku for 'my' implies that the thing mentioned is active, influential, or formative, &c., towards me. Or, provided that we give a sufficiently wide meaning to the word 'impress', we may say, perhaps, that eku is used in reference to things upon which I impress myself, while hoku is used in reference to things which impress themselves upon me.

• Goods, money, tools, utensils, instruments, weapons, vehicles, and other possessions which the subject owns or uses
• Animals or birds which the subjects owns or uses
• Things which the subject eats, drinks, or smokes
• Things which the subject originates, makes, mends, carries, or otherwise deals with
• Persons in the subject's employ, under their control, or in their care

• Things which are a part of the subject or 'unalienable' from the subject, such as body parts
• Persons or things which represent the subject
• The subject's relatives, friends, associates, or enemies
• Things which are provided for the subject or devolve to them or fall to their lot
• In general, persons or things which surround, support, or control the subject, or on which the subject depends

Cardinal pronouns

• all the preposed pronouns of one syllable only are enclitics which never can take the stress, but put it on the vowel in front of them. Example: ʻoku naú versus ʻokú na.
• first person singular, I uses u after kuo, te, ne, and also ka, pea, mo and ʻo; but uses ou after ʻoku; and uses ku after naʻa.
• first person inclusive is somewhat of a misnomer, at least in the singular. The meanings of te and kita can often rendered as one, that is the modesty I.

• Naʻa ku fehuʻi: I asked
• Naʻe fehuʻi au: I asked
• ʻOku ou fehuʻi au: I ask myself
• Te u fehuʻi kiate koe: I shall ask you
• Te ke tali kiate au: You will answer me
• Kapau te te fehuʻi: If one would ask
• Tau ō ki he hulohula?: Are we going to the ball?
• Sinitalela, mau ō ki he hulohula: Cinderella, we go to the ball

Possessive pronouns

1. the ordinary definite possessives starting with he drop this prefix after any word except ʻi, ki, mei, ʻe. Example: ko ʻeku tohi, my book; ʻi heʻeku tohi, in my book.
2. all ordinary alienable possessive forms contain a fakauʻa, the inalienable forms do not.
3. the emphatic forms are not often used, but if they are, they take the definitive accent from the following words
4. first person inclusive is somewhat of a misnomer. The meanings of heʻete, hoto, etc. can often rendered as one's, that is the modesty me.
5. the choice between an alienable or inalienable possessive is determined by the word or phrase it refers to. For example: ko ho fale ' your house', ko ho'o tohi, ' your book'. *Ko ho tohi, ko hoʻo fale* are wrong. Some words can take either, but with a difference in meaning: ko ʻene taki 'his/her leadership'; ko hono taki 'his/her leader'.

• ko haʻaku/haku kahoa: my garland
• ko ʻeku/hoku kahoa: my garland
• ko ʻeku/hoku kahoá: my garland, that particular one and no other
• ko heʻete/hoto kahoa: one's garland
• ko siʻaku kahoa: my cherished garland
• ko siʻeku/siʻoku kahoa: my cherished garland
• ko haʻakú/hoʻokú kahoa: garland - that particular garland is mine and not someone else's
• ko homa kahoa: our garlands
• ko hota kahoa: our garlands

  Other pronouns

1. the first syllable in all singular pronominal adjectives is reduplicated and can be dropped for somewhat less emphasis

• the pronominal adjectives put a stronger emphasis on the possessor than the possessive pronouns do
• the use of the adverbial possessives is rare

• ko hono valá: it is his/her/its clothing/dress
• ko e vala ʻona: it is his/her/its clothing/dress
• ko e vala ʻoʻona: it is his/her/its clothing/dress
• ko hono valá ʻona: it is his/her/its own clothing/dress
• ko hono vala ʻoná: it is his/her/its own clothing/dress; same as previous
• ko hono vala ʻoʻoná: it is his/her/its very own clothing/dress
• ʻoku ʻoʻona ʻa e valá ni: this clothing is his/hers/its
• ʻoku moʻona ʻa e valá: the clothing is for him/her/it
• ʻoange ia moʻono valá: give it as his/hers/its clothing

Numerals

Literature

• Ko e Kalonikali ʻo Tonga
• Ko e Keleʻa
• Taimi ʻo Tonga
• Talaki
• Ko e Tauʻatāina
• Tonga Maʻa Tonga

• Taumuʻa lelei
• Tohi fanongonongo
• Liahona
• ''ʻOfa ki Tonga''

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