Gagana Samoa| Samoan Language
Musings about our beautiful Samoan language – its stunning poetry, its stinging power and all the tricky metaphors, especially in our ‘higher’ speak.
You may have noticed. Many Samoan families have a preference for arranging their living rooms in a large, inward-facing oblong or oval formation, with the backs of all the couches and armchairs pushed up against the walls. If you know anything about life in Samoa, you...
Samoans call this the ili, or fan. This hand-held version is Polynesia's personal cooling system, except in the often relentless heat of Samoa, I've noticed it's not the most effective tool for the job. It's just as well they make these ili so pretty then or I...
Our Samoan etiquette series is for people who are new to our culture or just want to brush up on the kind of behavior expected from 'good' Samoans. It's especially helpful if you want to make a good impression on Samoan elders, perhaps the parents of your (hope to be)...
I know it’s been a looooong minute since I’ve posted anything here – I’ve got a full explanation for that, coming up soon (JJW lol) but my friend just sent me this clip to check out and I fell in love all over again with the Samoan siva.
One night my mom and I and some relatives were discussing all the crazy ghost stories we've heard from around the Samoan way - and it's not just a few. If I didn't know any better, I'd think all Samoans were haunted from birth. Spooky paranormal things just seem to...
I'll be the first to admit it. I eat on my feet all the time. Hello, I'm a busy lady. I don't always have time for a sit down meal, etc. and other excuses like that. Lucky for me, I'm too big now to get a bashing for such horrible manners... but I still try not to be...
Do you know how they made the ava (kava) back in the day? I'm talking over 100 years ago... Well, the taupou in the village would break off pieces of the ava root, chew them into a pulp, then spit all that good stuff into the tanoa (that's one of these things), where...
In our culture it's really rude to have conversations with your elders if you're standing while they're seated. If you dare to be so inappropriate like that in a very traditional Samoan household, look out for flying saucers (followed by tea-cups, or spoons, etc.)...
A few years ago I wrote this introduction to the world of the Samoan matai. More recently, I started a series on the path to becoming a Samoan chief... as in, how do you get chosen (against other eligible relatives) for a chiefly title? How do you prepare for the...
In our more formal Samoan language, when someone accepts an offer of food or a meal, we refer to that as, “le taliga o le sua.” (Imperative: Tali le sua)
I only fully understood the use of the phrase when my mother shared a memory about my grandfather, from back in the day.
[If you invest in this Samoan Language coursebook by Galumalemana Afeleti Hunkin, a small percentage of your purchase will also help support One Samoana].
Happy Samoan Language Week!
To celebrate, I’m posting here something I shared a recent Notebook Samoana newsletter. I love that the number one request I get from our readers is, “Please help me learn our language!”
We’re working on it :).
In the meantime, other amazing Samoans have developed some great online tools for keeping the Samoan language alive. Check them out here.
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