Fakauvea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ʻUvean (Fakaʻuvea in the vernacular) is the Polynesian language spoken on ʻUvea (also known as Wallis Island), and it was therefore known as Wallisian in colonial times. The term East-Uvean is also used to distinguish it from the related Uvean spoken on the outlier island of Ouvéa (near New Caledonia), for which the term West-Uvean can be used. In fact Ouvean tradition holds that the latter island was colonised from 'Uvea in ancient times.

Although not considered by some to be a Tongic language, ʻUvean is in fact quite close to Niuafo'ouan and Tongan, the island having been a part of the Tu'i Tongan empire for many centuries.

[edit] Alphabet

The standard 5 vowels: a, e, i, o, u, with their lengthened variants: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū.

The consonants: f, g (always pronounced as ŋ (ng)), h, k, l, m, n, s (rare, usually from foreign words), t, v, '.

The ʻ is the glottal stop (see also okina), known in ʻUvean as fakamoga (belonging to the throat, or throatmaker)). Although nowadays taught at schools, the older generation never writes it. Essentially it has neither official nor traditional value, and can be written with straight, curly or inverted curly apostrophes. Likewise the macron ('Uvean: fakaloa (long maker)) receives the same stepmotherly treatment.

For example: Mālō te ma'uli (hello)