Samoan Language – One Samoana

A Samoan Matai and Language Challenge

17 January, 20197 June, 2019
by hamogeekgirl

I love the Samoan culture the way I love my family:

I would protect and defend it with my life
I don’t always agree with it and sometimes we fight

One aspect of our culture I always seem to be in the ring with is our matai system, or fa’amatai.

On the one hand, fa’amatai is a beautifully communal practice of caring for an extended family. On the other hand, it can seem so… fiddly. And tiresome. And easily corrupted – not just by immoral people, but by a general lack of understanding.

Or do we just call that ‘cultural evolution’?

My own efforts to understand fa’amatai resulted in these posts:

And then after all that thought and consideration, I decided that I am not matai material.

Why I don’t want to be a matai

I have too much going on in my world right now to contribute significantly to extended family affairs, and I could never take a chiefly title without accepting the responsibilities it comes with.

I mean, I would have to show up to family stuff. I don’t even go to Christmas.

I DID spend time over the holidays with some of my family’s elders. It’s just mesmerizing to hear their banter about a fa’alavelave or church gathering, debating what was done well and what might have been inappropriate according to Samoan protocol.

I caught myself in thoughts like, “If I was that matai, I would have never…” and, “I’m glad I’m hearing this now so when I’m a matai, I’ll know to…”

Ia gale. Dot, dot, dot.

Then my elders would drop an alagaupu I’d never heard before, or laugh about a figure of speech I didn’t understand, and I’d have to ask them, please, for an explanation.

Our language continues to fascinate me. I’m still working on my everyday Samoan speaking skills, but I will always be in awe of our higher Samoan language – full of poetry and metaphor and so much imagery.

Piecing together those images into a captivating lauga (speech) is the work of a highly respected orator matai.

Why I might want to (someday) be a matai

So my attitude towards matai-ship (not that it’s been formally offered to me yet) has shifted slightly. I’m not matai material right this minute – for sure! – but I might be in a few years. It could happen.

No harm putting in a little preparation now, right?

My Samoan language resolution

In 2019, my goal is to master everyday, conversational Samoan. I’m okay at it now, but just okay. I figure it will take around 6 months of concentrated effort to reach that goal.

The idea is, along the way I’m going to pick the brains of the elders in my family for phrases and metaphors in our higher Samoan language, and then by the end of this year, I want to start putting together my own lauga.

And I’ll share as much as I can – all the language and lauga learning, all the tips and insight around matai protocol – here in my online api (notebook) in case I’m not the only upcoming matai looking for this kinda information.

Please check back here at One Samoana for more news and announcements about Hamo Geek Girl’s new language learning matai project (that needs a better name).

If you’re on the same journey, please let us know in the comments below.

This is going to be fun.

Samoan Language

The two Samoan languages

12 August, 201811 June, 2019
by hamogeekgirl

While I was slowly picking up Samoan from my family and friends, I’d hear references to another, mysterious, ‘higher’ version of the language.

‘It’s different from our everyday Samoan,’

…they would say.

‘It’s the language that matais and ministers use’.

And I would think, OK, so… what is it? Do they just use bigger words?

…because I am an avid reader, and my favourite authors use lots of big words, like Salman Rushdie, for example, who says stuff like ‘cogitate’ instead of ‘think deep’ and ‘imprecations’ instead of just plain ‘swearing’…

So I figured that learning this enigmatic ‘higher’ language, reserved only for important people, would just be a matter of finding a great Samoan dictionary / thesaurus, reading more Samoan literature and maybe paying more attention to the matai speeches at functions.

Yeah, it’s not quite that simple. Many of the words I came across couldn’t be found in the dictionary I had, and even if I did find a definition, it rarely ever helped me to understand a passage. As for those matai speeches… all of them lost me at ‘talofa’.

But I persevered, got myself some Samoan language support, and I think I’ve figured out why this ‘higher Samoan’ has been so difficult to decipher.

What’s the story

In English, people tend to use bigger (more difficult) words for the sake of eloquence – to express complex thoughts and nuances of emotion. Sometimes you just can’t explain exactly what you mean with everyday English.

Samoa’s higher language, however, is founded on poetry, history, legends and myths. To understand the meaning of a difficult word or phrase, you’d have to know the story behind it.

In this pretty word, for example:

Lautinalaulelei

…I recognize a couple of concepts: ‘lauti’ – the leaves of the ti tree – and ‘laulelei’ which talks about being well, or satisfied.

Interestingly enough, this word has nothing to do with agriculture. It is used to refer to a group of talking chiefs (tulafale) in a village who are of a general or lower rank. Why?

I have no idea, except that somewhere in Samoan history, somebody compared this group of tulafale to a field of beautifully grown ti-leaves…

In Context

In English, the use of more difficult words (correctly) can also imply that a person is educated, so your own personal glossary for life can become a status symbol.

…everybody knows at least one person who will happily show off the range of their vocabulary – whether they make any kind of sense or not – for the sake of sounding brainy, right?

In the Fa’asamoa, on the other hand, big, beautiful, complicated words are used to lavish praise on other people. It’s more than just respect… it’s verbal (lyrical) veneration.

So… in our culture, knowledge of this higher Samoan language is not about pride or ego, but rather deep humility and a willingness to defer to others.

Proverbially Speaking

It’s no wonder then that our parents will talk to us about ‘fa’aaloalo’ and remind us…

‘O le ala i le pule o le tautua’

Although it’s not always apparent to natural born cynics like myself, ideals like respect and service and obedience and modesty are foundational elements of Samoan wisdom… passed down to us from our ancestors, preserved so efficiently in our higher language.

Any Samoan function or family get together – a wedding, a funeral, an ava ceremony, a birthday – is an opportunity for our elders and matais to share speeches, lauga.

Learning to compose and deliver a lauga, though, is sacred work, not only because they are used to consecrate and bring honour to an occassion, but also because the language used in these speeches – our higher language – carries proverbs, expressions and figures of speech that teach and reaffirm values that we sustain as Samoan people.

Learning for Life

It worries me now that this higher language is still relatively mysterious to me – partly because it’s not like we can just pick up a dictionary and learn it, but mostly because only a little while ago, I was completely oblivious to what it was all about.

I can’t help but wonder how many other Samoans in my generation – especially those of us raised outside of Samoa – have no idea how important our language is, or how valuable it is to be able to communicate ‘like matais and ministers’. It doesn’t help that the way we live today doesn’t make it easy for us to learn…

…but that excuses nothing.

One thing most of us can appreciate is that Samoans are all about family and respect for our elders. What better way to learn than to spend time serving and talking to our parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts…

Just like in the old days…

—
This article was first published here in March 2009

Samoan Language

Samoan Proverb – Sorted like a fishing net in…

19 September, 201711 June, 2019
by hamogeekgirl

As the heart of the Pacific ocean, it makes sense that so many of Samoa’s alagaupu & muagagana (proverbs & idioms) use the imagery of fishing.

Like this one:

O le upega e fili i le po, ‘ae tatala i le ao

Its literal translation: The fishing net is knotted (or braided) at night, but opened (or untangled) in the morning/day.

Dr Schultz explains that after night fishing, fishermen would hang their nets up, but would only come back to put them in order in the morning.

According to Schultz, this proverb is about settling disputes, how we have to really understand what the true cause of the conflict is, first.

I think it also refers to how, when we’re all dark, angry and emotional with each other, sometimes it’s wise to just walk away for a while, to come back in the ‘morning’ (i.e. when we can see more clearly) and sort things out.

I love that these proverbs are somewhat open to interpretation. What are your thoughts about this bit of Samoan wisdom?

~*~

I am working through some alagaupu & muagagana I found in my grandfather’s notebook. Maybe with a little common sense and creativity, I can figure out what they mean all by myself… hmmm… lol

Samoan Culture

Alagaupu ma Muagagana – Samoan Proverbs and Expressions

14 September, 201710 June, 2019
by hamogeekgirl

My grandfather was a diligent note-keeper. He was a faiava, which means he lived with my grandmother in her village (rather than his own), and he kept several notebooks worth of hand-written records on her family’s history and titles.

This grandfather was also a gifted orator. He died when I was very young, but I still hear stories about how so many villages would invite him to their various functions to hear him speak, and how he was paid handsomely – in the currency of food and fine mats – for his eloquence. They say that while he was usually soft-spoken, his words were always very powerful.

I’ve got one of his notebooks right here in front of me now, and I think I’ve discovered the secret to his oratory genius. Filling several pages in this book, he’s made a numbered list of over 400 alagaupu and muagagana – the basic building blocks of a Samoan lauga, or speech.

In English, alagaupu is what we’d call ‘proverbs’. They’re little soundbites of widely-accepted wisdom based on the characters and events in our legends. Muagagana are more like ‘idioms’, everyday expressions that are a little more poetic than straightforward statements. Kind of like when we say, “We have no car, so time to beat the feet.”

The difference in the Samoan language is that these proverbs and idioms are usually only studied by our talking chiefs (tulafale). They are highly valued and guarded like precious jewels. You have to be a skilled speaker to compete against other tulafale for the honor (and the spoils) of delivering commemorative speeches at various functions. So in an oratory culture like ours, alagaupu and muagagana are like sacred ammunition, kept stashed away until absolutely necessary for the task at hand.

That’s great for our community of chiefs, but it means that a lot of everyday Samoans don’t get exposed to these pearls of wisdom and poetry handed down from our ancestors, which is a shame. I know a lot of very fluent Samoan speakers who only know a handful of these sayings, and can’t reaaally explain what all of them mean.

I’m looking at these 400+ in my grandfather’s book and can’t even begin to guess the meaning of most of them… but they’re beautiful. I’ve chosen 12 that I like the most and will work on trying to understand them. I’ll have to talk to some matai in my family and track down a new Samoan language and culture mentor (since my old teacher has passed away). Then I’ll be back to report my findings.

In the meantime, thank the good Lord for Palagi historians like Dr. E Schultz, who was a High Court Judge in Apia back around 1906. He collected a huge number of alagaupu and muagagana AND he explained them. I found an excerpt of his book over at the Journal of the Polynesian Society, then I turned one of his findings into the graphic image I posted above.

Now this one I instantly recognized from that gorgeous Five Star ballad I love so much: Amuia le La. It’s an easier sentiment to understand:

Amuia le masina, e alu ma toe sau.

That lucky moon gets to come back after it sets. People are not so fortunate. We only get to pass through this life one time.

Do you feel that heartbreaking power in one simple, Samoan expression?

—
First published in September 2014

Samoan Language

Samoan Proverb about a Humble Snake

25 September, 2014
by hamogeekgirl

Another one of my most favourite Samoan jams is Afai Ua e Musu (I love the version by the Five Stars). It’s basically a guy telling a girl, “If you don’t want me, just tell me. I’m cool. I can hack it. Let’s just get this over with.” And then he quotes Samoan proverbs including a variation of this one about the snake and its eyes:

E fasia o le gata, ae pupula mai ona mata

Which means: The snake is getting killed, but it’s still looking at you (the killer).

If you’re like me and you grew up with a western/Christian sort of mentality, you picture a snake and think of something that is sinister, conniving and evil. That’s probably why this proverb won’t immediately make sense to you.

According to Dr Schultz, our Samoan ancestors had this idea that snakes, unlike just about every other animal, will not defend itself when it’s about to be killed. Instead, it just gives its killer this look. What kind of look? I don’t know. I’d imagine something passively defiant and proud.

But this Samoan expression apparently refers to a sort of humility. It talks about having patience when others are attacking you unfairly. About taking the higher ground and just enduring the injustice without trying to seek revenge.

So back to the guy in the song up there and how he used this proverb. He’s just saying to this girl, “You’re wrong to let me go. But it’s cool. I’m good. I still got love for you.”

Eh, kalofa e.

Samoan Language

How to use the Samoan word, Uso

16 June, 201421 June, 2019
by hamogeekgirl

Uso is the Samoan word for either brother or sister, depending on your gender.

You’ll see/hear this word thrown around a lot amongst Samoans – “Eh, uso!” or “Ua ‘li’i, uso?” and sometimes more ‘urban’ Samoans will make this short word even shorter: “Hey, uce!”

Not my favorite variation of the word, but I’ll let it slide as long as we’re using it in the right context.

These days, I notice a lot of guys calling their sisters (or female relatives/friends) ‘uso’, or girls calling guys ‘uso’ and I can’t tell whether they’re just trying to be all “bend-the-rules-cool”, or they really don’t know the correct way to use this word.

SO I figured it was my responsibility as a citizen of Samoa (seriously, I was born there) and a publisher of Samoan-related stuff to share a little knowledge. To be fair, and in the interest of non-judgement, I myself only learned this distinction a few years ago.

Thank goodness for adult community education and a NZ government that encourages Pacific language learning.

This post is also inspired by a couple of very enlightening articles by teacher and blogger Liz M.

Any questions?

Samoan Language

10 pretty-sounding Samoan names for girls…that have nice meanings…

13 February, 20137 June, 2019
by hamogeekgirl

A couple years ago, an expectant mother asked the natives in the the ville to suggest Samoan names for her new baby girl. The discussion received a handful of genuine attempts to be helpful, but the other 5 pages of replies were full of so much stupidity I swear…

The suggestions ranged from ‘Sasa’e‘ meaning ‘East’ (as in the direction) to ‘Kekepovi‘ meaning ‘beef buns’ to ‘Tolopo‘, which means ‘postpone’, because “I think her delivery date has been delay while she is searching for a name,” said JJW… to several un-repeatable words, and one funny lady even offered ‘Megatron‘.

Yes, our village has its fair share of ~~idiots~~ comedians.

The Samoan culture is so rich, though, our traditional names so full of meaning that I can understand (a little bit) why many of us would be reluctant to share them.

Translating Lyrics

English translation: O oe o la’u uo moni

30 July, 2012
by hamogeekgirl

Spawnbreezie recorded the most recent version of this song, but it’s a true Samoan classic.

Thank you to JJW for his beautiful translation. (I tried lol).

I’m not sure who wrote the original – Tiama’a? Five Stars? – but he or she was a lyrical poet indeed:
Read more “English translation: O oe o la’u uo moni” →

Translating Lyrics

Samoan Song Translation: Afai e te Alofa

20 April, 201215 June, 2019
by hamogeekgirl

This song is so pretty. It’s one of my top 5 all-time favourite island jams, particularly the version by legendary Samoan band Five Stars.

The message is simple: if you love me, come back to me.

Here’s how I would translate it line by line:

Afai e te alofa / If you love (as in, if you have love for me)
se’i maliu maia oe / would you just come (already)
Foi mai ia ita / return to me
Ou te tagi atu nei / i am crying to you (pleading with you)
O ta’ita nei / myself
Ua fa’anoanoa / i am grieving
Foi mai pele ea / return to me my dearest
Foi mai / return

O tino e vaivai / the (my) body is weak
Dear ea i le fia va’ai / dearest, because I yearn to see (you)
Ta fia tepa tasi, / i want to return (to see) just one more time
darling, i ou foliga matalasi / darling, your beautiful face
Se tasi ua sili atu / the one who is more important (as in, if there is someone else more important to you than me)
Fa’agalo i lou manatu / remove that person from your mind
Fo’i mai pele ea / return to me my dearest
Fo’i mai / return

Set this beautifully tragic poetry to a haunting melody, soulful vocals against pensive arpeggios and you’ve got a true Samoan classic that is always going to be somewhere near the top of my playlist.

—

Samoan History

Samoan Newspapers

12 June, 2008
by hamogeekgirl

Once upon a time (1979, to be exact) a Samoan newspaper was born in New Zealand for the sole purpose of keeping our migrant community connected with home through news, gossip and columns about God, culture and family.

This newspaper’s name was “Samoana“, and it was the first monolingual Samoan publication in New Zealand.

The Samoana Newspaper had an amazing 27-year run full of ups and downs, some incredible people, the odd scandal and a LOT of heart.

At times it was as if the cliche, ‘blood, sweat and tears’ was penned just to describe the effort that went into keeping alive this homage to a burgeoning Samoan-NZ community.

The last issue of the Samoana Newspaper hit the stands in 2006, only months after the passing of its visionary founder.

Yet, ‘Liliu le taimi,’ impart the lyrics of a popular song, and indeed it is a new day.

One Samoana is the effort of another Samoan generation to keep our people connected through our thoughts, our stories and a celebration of our common heritage.

As an organisation, however, we are built on the legacy, the collective wisdom and experience, of decades in the print media industry.

It is in that spirit that we pay our humble respects to the Samoan newspapers that are still running strong, still delivering to newstands every week, the stories of our people – the voice of Samoana.

Samoa Observer: Samoa’s leading newspaper

Samoa Post: International publication of Samoa

Samoa News: American Samoa’s daily newspaper

We also acknowledge the Savali, a government-owned paper that prints fortnightly out of Apia.

Please let us know about any other Samoan newspapers or magazines that run in your area so we can add them here.

Ia manuia!

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