Reʻo Paʻumotu
Tuamotuan
Austronesian (Polynesian)
Tuamotuan, also called Pa'umotu or Reo Pa'umotu (ISO 639-3: pmt), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia. It comprises seven regional linguistic areas—Tapuhoe, Maragai, Mihiroa, Vāhitu, Fagatau, Parata, and Nāpuka—spread across the archipelago’s widely separated atolls. The language is threatened: adults and especially grandparents continue to use it, but fewer children acquire full command at home, while Tahitian and French dominate many public settings. Tuamotuan is written in a Latin-based orthography that marks vowel length and glottal stops. The Kāruru Vānaga academy, created in 2008, works to codify the language, encourage teaching, and support transmission, and adapted school curricula provide Pa'umotu learning materials.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Tuamotuan
Sources
- ABVD language 246 'Tuamotu' (Greenhill, Blust & Gray 2008), data from POLLEX 2000 (Biggs & Clark) citing Stimson & Marshall 1964, A Dictionary of Some Tuamotuan Dialects of the Polynesian Language (Salem: Peabody Museum); Tregear, Edward 1895, A Paumotuan Dictionary with Polynesian Comparatives (Wellington: Whitcombe & Tombs; archive.org paumotuandiction00tregrich)
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Austronesian (Polynesian)
| Meaning | Tuamotuan | Cook Islands Māori | Pukapukan | Marquesan | Rapanui | Tokelauan | Tuvaluan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | aʻi /aʔi/ | awi /awi/ | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | rā /raː/ | rā /raː/ | la /la/ | ʻoumati /ʔoumati/ | raʻā /ɾaʔaː/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ |
| Moon | marama /marama/ | marama /marama/ | malama /malama/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | masina /masina/ |
| Star | fetū /fetuː/ | etū /etuː/ | wetū /wetuː/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | hetuʻu /hetuʔu/ | fetu /fetu/ | fetū /fetuː/ |
| Night | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ |
| Rain | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ |
| Wind | matangi /mataŋi/ | matangi /mataŋi/ | matangi /mataŋi/ | metani /metani/ | tokerau /tokeɾau/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ |
| Earth | repo /repo/ | one /one/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | ʻepo /ʔepo/ | ʻoʻone /ʔoʔone/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ |
| Stone | pōfatu /poːfatu/ | toka /toka/ | watu /watu/ | keʻa /keʔa/ | maʻea /maʔea/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Mountain | māunga /maːuŋa/ | maunga /mauŋa/ | maunga /mauŋa/ | — | maʻunga /maʔuŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ |
| Sea | tai /tai/ | tai /tai/ | tai /tai/ | tai /tai/ | tai /tai/ | moana /moana/ | tai /tai/ |
| Mother | metua vahine /metua vahine/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | matua wawine /matua wawine/ | kui /kui/ | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ | mātua /maːtua/ | maatua /maːtua/ |
| Father | metua tāne /metua taːne/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | matua tāne /matua taːne/ | motua /motua/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ |
| Daughter | tamahine /tamahine/ | tamaine /tamaine/ | tamāwine /tamaːwine/ | — | poki vahine /poki vahine/ | afafine /afafine/ | tama fafine /tama fafine/ |
| I | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| We | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tatou / matou /tatou / matou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ |
| Name | ingoa /iŋoa/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | ikoa /ikoa/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ |
| Person | tangata /taŋata/ | tangata /taŋata/ | tangata /taŋata/ | ʻenana /ʔenana/ | tangata /taŋata/ | tagata /taŋata/ | tino /tino/ |
| Head | upoko /upoko/ | upoko /upoko/ | ulu /ulu/ | upoko /upoko/ | puʻoko /puʔoko/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Ear | taringa /tariŋa/ | taringa /taɾiŋa/ | talinga /taliŋa/ | puaʻika /puaʔika/ | taringa /taɾiŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ |
| Nose | ihu /ihu/ | putāngiʻu /putaːŋiʔu/ | iyu /iðu/ | ihu /ihu/ | ihu /ihu/ | ihu /ihu/ | isu /isu/ |
| Mouth | vaha /vaha/ | vaʻa /vaʔa/ | ngutu /ŋutu/ | haha /haha/ | haha /haha/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ |
| Tooth | niho /niho/ | niʻo /niʔo/ | nio /nio/ | niho /niho/ | niho /niho/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ |
| Tongue | arero /aɾeɾo/ | arero /aɾeɾo/ | alelo /alelo/ | ʻeʻo /ʔeʔo/ | arero /aɾeɾo/ | alelo /alelo/ | alelo /alelo/ |
| Hand | rima /rima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | ʻima /ʔima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Foot | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ | vaʻe /vaʔe/ | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ |
| Heart | hōupo /hoːupo/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | loto /loto/ | houpo /houpo/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Bone | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ |
| Blood | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ |
| Poop | tūtae /tuːtae/ | tūtae /tuːtae/ | tūtae /tuːtae/ | — | tūtaʻe /tuːtaʔe/ | tae /tae/ | tae /tae/ |
| Love | aroha /aroha/ | aroʻa /aɾoʔa/ | aloa /aloa/ | hanahana /hanahana/ | hanga /haŋa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Tree | rākau /raːkau/ | rākau /raːkau/ | lākau /laːkau/ | tumu kahi /tumu kahi/ | tumu rākau /tumu ɾaːkau/ | lākau /laːkau/ | laakau /laːkau/ |
| Dog | kuri /kuri/ | puakaoa /puakaoa/ | kulī /kuliː/ | peto /peto/ | paihenga /paiheŋa/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | pusi /pusi/ | piki /piki/ | kati /kati/ | puhi /puhi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Fish | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ |
| Bird | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ |
| Butterfly | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | — | — | pepa /pepa/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ |
| Egg | tōuo /toːuo/ | ua /ua/ | wuamoa /wuamoa/ | mamaʻi /mamaʔi/ | māmari /maːmaɾi/ | fuāmoa /fuaːmoa/ | fuamoa /fuamoa/ |
| Horse | puārehenua /puaːrehenua/ | ʻoroʻenua /ʔoɾoʔenua/ | oloenua /oloenua/ | ekeuna /ekeuna/ | hoi /hoi/ | holofanua /holofanua/ | solofanua /solofanua/ |
| House | fare /fare/ | ʻare /ʔaɾe/ | wale /wale/ | haʻe /haʔe/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ |
| Salt | miti /miti/ | miti /miti/ | miti /miti/ | paʻatai /paʔatai/ | miti /miti/ | māhima /maːhima/ | masima /masima/ |
| Iron | kāuri /kaːuri/ | ʻāuri /ʔaːuri/ | āuli /aːuli/ | — | auri /auɾi/ | ukamea /ukamea/ | fiti /fiti/ |
| Wheel | huira /huira/ | porotātā /poɾotaːtaː/ | — | — | — /—/ | uili /uili/ | teka /teka/ |
| Book | puta /puta/ | puka /puka/ | puka /puka/ | — | puka /puka/ | tuhi /tuhi/ | tusi /tusi/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| Sleep | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | taʻi /taʔi/ | tayi /taði/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ |
| Two | rua /rua/ | rua /rua/ | lua /lua/ | ʻua /ʔua/ | rua /ɾua/ | lua /lua/ | lua /lua/ |
| Three | toru /toɾu/ | toru /toɾu/ | tolu /tolu/ | toʻu /toʔu/ | toru /toɾu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ |
| Four | hā /haː/ | ʻā /ʔaː/ | wā /waː/ | hā /haː/ | hā /haː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ |
| Five | rima /ɾima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | ʻima /ʔima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Hundred | hānere /haːnere/ | ʻānere /ʔaːnere/ | lau /lau/ | ʻau /ʔau/ | rau /ɾau/ | helau /helau/ | selau /selau/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | kia orana /kia oɾana/ | kaʻoha /kaʔoha/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | mauruuru /mauɾuuɾu/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ |
| Good | maitaki /maitaki/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | meitaʻi /meitaʔi/ | riva /ɾiva/ | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ |
| New | hoou /hoou/ | ʻou /ʔou/ | wou /wou/ | hou /hou/ | hoʻou /hoʔou/ | fou /fou/ | fou /fou/ |
| Red | kura /kuɾa/ | muramura /muɾamuɾa/ | kula /kula/ | kuʻa /kuʔa/ | mea mea /mea mea/ | kukula /kukula/ | kula /kula/ |
| White | tea /tea/ | teatea /teatea/ | tea /tea/ | tea /tea/ | tea tea /tea tea/ | paepae /paepae/ | kena /kena/ |
| Black | kere /kere/ | kerekere /keɾekeɾe/ | uli /uli/ | keʻekeʻe /keʔekeʔe/ | uri uri /uɾi uɾi/ | uli /uli/ | uli /uli/ |
| Green | matie /matie/ | matie /matie/ | yengayenga /ðeŋaðeŋa/ | — | rito mata /ɾito mata/ | lanu meamata /lanu meamata/ | lanu lau niu /lanu lau niu/ |
| Blue | ninamu /ninamu/ | auīka /auiːka/ | yengayenga /ðeŋaðeŋa/ | moho /moho/ | moana /moana/ | lanumoana /lanumoana/ | lanu moana /lanu moana/ |
| Orange | anani /anani/ | ʻānani /ʔaːnani/ | — | — | — | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ |
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