Faka'uvea
Wallisian
Austronesian (Polynesian, Tongic)
Wallisian (Faka'uvea), spoken on Wallis Island ('Uvea) in the French collectivity of Wallis & Futuna, is a Polynesian language of the Tongic subgroup most closely related to Niuafo'ou and Tongan, though heavy contact with Samoic neighbours has overlaid much Samoan-style vocabulary. It preserves the typical Polynesian inventory of just 5 vowels and ~12 consonants including a phonemic glottal stop /ʔ/ (written ‘), and uses VSO word order with ergative-absolutive case marking via prepositions. Despite ~10K speakers, it remains the daily language of the island and has co-official status alongside French.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Wallisian
Sources
- Rensch, Karl H. (1990) Tikisionalio Fakauvea-Fakafalani / Dictionnaire wallisien-français. Pacific Linguistics C-86.
- Mayer, Raymond (1976) Les transformations de la tradition narrative à l'île Wallis (Uvea). Publications de la Société des Océanistes 38.
- Moyse-Faurie, Claire (2016) Te lea faka'uvea — Le wallisien. Leuven: Peeters (LCB collection).
- Glottolog: East Uvean (Wallisian)
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Austronesian (Polynesian, Tongic)
| Meaning | Wallisian | East Futunan | Tongan | Tokelauan | Niuean | Tuvaluan | Samoan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | laʻā /laʔaː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | lā /laː/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ | lā /laː/ |
| Moon | māhina /maːhina/ | māsina /maːsina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | mahina /mahina/ | masina /masina/ | māsina /maːsina/ |
| Star | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | fetu /fetu/ | fetū /fetuː/ | fetū /fetuː/ | fetū /fetuː/ |
| Night | pōʻuli /poːʔuli/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ |
| Rain | ʻua /ʔua/ | ʻua /ʔua/ | ʻuha /ʔuha/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ |
| Snow | nive /nive/ | nive /nive/ | sinou /sinou/ | kiona /kiona/ | kiona /kiona/ | kiona /kiona/ | kiona /kiona/ |
| Wind | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matangi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ |
| Earth | kele /kele/ | kele /kele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | ʻeleʻele /ʔeleʔele/ |
| Stone | maka /maka/ | maka /maka/ | maka /maka/ | fatu /fatu/ | maka /maka/ | fatu /fatu/ | maʻa /maʔa/ |
| Mountain | moʻuga /moʔuŋa/ | maʻuga /maʔuŋa/ | moʻunga /moʔuŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ | mouga /mouŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ |
| Sea | tai /tai/ | moana /moana/ | tahi /tahi/ | moana /moana/ | tahi /tahi/ | tai /tai/ | sami /sami/ |
| Mother | faʻē /faʔeː/ | tinana /tinana/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | mātua /maːtua/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | maatua /maːtua/ | tinā /tinaː/ |
| Father | tamai /tamai/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamai /tamai/ | tamana /tamana/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamā /tamaː/ |
| Daughter | ʻofafine /ʔofafine/ | taʻine /taʔine/ | ʻofefine /ʔofefine/ | afafine /afafine/ | tama fifine /tama fifine/ | tama fafine /tama fafine/ | afafine /afafine/ |
| I | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | aʻu /aʔu/ |
| You | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | ʻoe /ʔoe/ |
| We | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | kitautolu / kimautolu /kitautolu / kimautolu/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tautolu / mautolu /tautolu / mautolu/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ |
| Name | higoa /hiŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | hingoa /hiŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | higoa /hiŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ |
| Person | tagata /taŋata/ | tagata /taŋata/ | tangata /taŋata/ | tagata /taŋata/ | tagata /taŋata/ | tino /tino/ | tagata /taŋata/ |
| Head | ʻulu /ʔulu/ | ʻulu /ʔulu/ | ʻulu /ʔulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Ear | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | telinga /teliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ |
| Nose | ihu /ihu/ | isu /isu/ | ihu /ihu/ | ihu /ihu/ | ihu /ihu/ | isu /isu/ | isu /isu/ |
| Mouth | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | ngutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ |
| Tooth | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ |
| Tongue | ʻalelo /ʔalelo/ | ʻalelo /ʔalelo/ | ʻelelo /ʔelelo/ | alelo /alelo/ | alelo /alelo/ | alelo /alelo/ | laulaufaiva /laulaufaiva/ |
| Hand | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Foot | vaʻe /vaʔe/ | vaʻe /vaʔe/ | vaʻe /vaʔe/ | vae /vae/ | hui /hui/ | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ |
| Heart | mafu /mafu/ | mafu /mafu/ | loto /loto/ | fatu /fatu/ | atevili /atevili/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ |
| Bone | hui /hui/ | ivi /ivi/ | hui /hui/ | ivi /ivi/ | hui /hui/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ |
| Blood | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ |
| Poop | taʻe /taʔe/ | taʻe /taʔe/ | taʻe /taʔe/ | tae /tae/ | tē /teː/ | tae /tae/ | tae /tae/ |
| Love | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Tree | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | lāʻakau /laːʔakau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | lākau /laːkau/ | akau /akau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ |
| Dog | kulī /kuliː/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | maile /maile/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pūsi /puːsi/ | pusi /pusi/ | puhi /puhi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Fish | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | iʻa /iʔa/ |
| Bird | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manupuna /manupuna/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ |
| Butterfly | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ |
| Egg | fuāmoa /fuaːmoa/ | fua /fua/ | foʻi moa /foʔi moa/ | fuāmoa /fuaːmoa/ | fua moa /fua moa/ | fuamoa /fuamoa/ | fuamoa /fuamoa/ |
| Bear | uluso /uluso/ | uluso /uluso/ | pea /pea/ | pea /pea/ | urosa /urosa/ | pea /pea/ | pea /pea/ |
| Horse | hōsi /hoːsi/ | ōsi /oːsi/ | hoosi /hoːsi/ | holofanua /holofanua/ | solofanua /solofanua/ | solofanua /solofanua/ | solofanua /solofanua/ |
| House | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ |
| Milk | huʻa pipi /huʔa pipi/ | — | huʻakau /huʔakau/ | huāhuhu /huaːhuhu/ | huhu /huhu/ | susu /susu/ | susu /susu/ |
| Honey | meli /meli/ | — | hone /hone/ | meli /meli/ | meli /meli/ | hani /hani/ | meli /meli/ |
| Salt | māsima /maːsima/ | paʻatai /paʔatai/ | māsima /maːsima/ | māhima /maːhima/ | masima /masima/ | masima /masima/ | masima /masima/ |
| Wine | vino /vino/ | vino /vino/ | uaine /uaine/ | uaina /uaina/ | uaina /uaina/ | uaina /uaina/ | uaina /uaina/ |
| Rice | lāisi /laːisi/ | — | laise /laise/ | — | laisi /laisi/ | laisi /laisi/ | alaisa /alaisa/ |
| Chocolate | sokola /sokola/ | — | sokoleti /sokoleti/ | — | — | — | sukalati /sukalati/ |
| Iron | ukamea /ukamea/ | ukamea /ukamea/ | ukamea /ukamea/ | ukamea /ukamea/ | lapatoa /lapatoa/ | fiti /fiti/ | uʻamea /uʔamea/ |
| Wheel | teka /teka/ | teka /teka/ | veʻeteka /veʔeteka/ | uili /uili/ | veli /veli/ | teka /teka/ | uili /uili/ |
| Silk | silika /silika/ | — | silika /silika/ | hilika /hilika/ | silika /silika/ | silika /silika/ | silika /silika/ |
| Book | tohi /tohi/ | tosi /tosi/ | tohi /tohi/ | tuhi /tuhi/ | tohi /tohi/ | tusi /tusi/ | tusi /tusi/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | ʻai /ʔai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| Sleep | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | mohe /mohe/ | moe /moe/ | mohe /mohe/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ |
| One | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | tasi /tasi/ |
| Two | lua /lua/ | lua /lua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | lua /lua/ |
| Three | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ |
| Four | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ |
| Five | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Hundred | teau /teau/ | kaulelau /kaulelau/ | teau /teau/ | helau /helau/ | teau /teau/ | selau /selau/ | selau /selau/ |
| Hello | mālō te maʻuli /maːloː te maʔuli/ | mālō /maːloː/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | talofa /talofa/ |
| Thank you | mālō /maːloː/ | mālō /maːloː/ | mālō /maːloː/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ |
| Good | lelei /lelei/ | mālie /maːlie/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ |
| New | foʻou /foʔou/ | foʻou /foʔou/ | foʻou /foʔou/ | fou /fou/ | foou /foou/ | fou /fou/ | fou /fou/ |
| Red | kula /kula/ | kula /kula/ | kulokula /kulokula/ | kukula /kukula/ | kula /kula/ | kula /kula/ | mūmū /muːmuː/ |
| White | hina /hina/ | tea /tea/ | hinehina /hinehina/ | paepae /paepae/ | tea /tea/ | kena /kena/ | paʻepaʻe /paʔepaʔe/ |
| Black | ʻuli /ʔuli/ | ʻuli /ʔuli/ | ʻuliʻuli /ʔuliʔuli/ | uli /uli/ | uli /uli/ | uli /uli/ | uliuli /uliuli/ |
| Green | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | lanu mata /lanu mata/ | lanu meamata /lanu meamata/ | lanu laukou /lanu laukou/ | lanu lau niu /lanu lau niu/ | lanumeamata /lanumeamata/ |
| Blue | ʻui /ʔui/ | ʻusi /ʔusi/ | lanu moana /lanu moana/ | lanumoana /lanumoana/ | lanu moana /lanu moana/ | lanu moana /lanu moana/ | lanumoana /lanumoana/ |
| Computer | olotinatea /olotinatea/ | masini /masini/ | komipiuta /komipiuta/ | komepiuta /komepiuta/ | komopiuta /komopiuta/ | komupiuta /komupiuta/ | komipiuta /komipiuta/ |
| Tea | ti /ti/ | — | tī /tiː/ | — | tī /tiː/ | tī /tiː/ | tī /tiː/ |
| Coffee | kafe /kafe/ | — | kofi /kofi/ | — | kofe /kofe/ | kofe /kofe/ | kofe /kofe/ |
| Sugar | suka /suka/ | — | suka /suka/ | — | suka /suka/ | suka /suka/ | suka /suka/ |
| Orange | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ |
| Ninety-nine | hivagofulu ma hiva /hivaŋofulu ma hiva/ | — | hivangofulu mā hiva /hivaŋofulu maː hiva/ | iva hefuluiva /iva hefuluiva/ | — | iva sefulu iva /iva sefulu iva/ | ivasefulu ma le iva /ivasefulu ma le iva/ |
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