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{{breadcrumb | link1=[[Tonga Genealogy|Tonga]] | link2= | link3= | link4= | link5=[[Tonga Languages|Languages]] }} ==Description== The Tongan language is the official language, along with English. Tongan, a Polynesian language, is closely related to Wallisian (Uvean), Niuean, Hawaiian, and Samoan. <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Tonga," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga#Languages, accessed 2 Apr 2021.</ref> Tongan is an Austronesian language of the Polynesian branch spoken in Tonga. It has around 187,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO (verb–subject–object) language. <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Tongan language," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language, accessed 2 Apr 2021.</ref> ==Word List(s)== *[https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/tongan.php Useful Tongan phrases - Omniglot] ==Alphabet and Pronunciation== Tongan is written in a subset of the Latin script. In the old, "missionary" alphabet, the order of the letters was modified: the vowels were put first and then followed by the consonants: a, e, i, o, u, etc. That was still so as of the Privy Council decision of 1943 on the orthography of the Tongan language. However, C. M. Churchward's grammar and dictionary favoured the standard European alphabetical order, which, since his time, has been in use exclusively: {| class="wikitable" |+Tongan alphabet !Letter |'''a''' |'''e''' |'''f''' |'''h''' |'''i''' |'''k''' |'''l''' |'''m''' |'''n''' |'''ng''' |'''o''' |'''p''' |'''s''' |'''t''' |'''u''' |'''v''' |'''{{okina}}''' (''fakau{{okina}}a'') |- !Pronunciation |/a/ |/e/ |/f/ |/h/ |/i/ |/k/ |/l/ |/m/ |/n/ |/ŋ/<sup>1</sup> |/o/ |/p/<sup>2</sup> |/s/<sup>3</sup> |/t/ |/u/ |/v/ |/ʔ/<sup>4</sup> |} Notes: #written as ''g'' but still pronounced as [ŋ] (as in Samoan) before 1943 #unaspirated; written as ''b'' before 1943 #sometimes written as ''j'' before 1943 #the glottal stop. It should be written with the modifier letter turned comma and not with the single quote open or with a mixture of quotes open and quotes close. * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language#Phonology Consonants and Vowels - Wikipedia] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language#Syllabification Syllabification - Wikipedia] ==Language Aids and Dictionaries== '''Language Aids''' *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language#Cardinal_pronouns Cardinal pronouns - Wikipedia] *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language#Possessive_pronouns Possessive pronouns - Wikipedia] *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language#Other_pronouns Other pronouns - Wikipedia] *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language#Calendar Calendar - Wikipedia] *[https://unilang.org/course.php?res=81 Tongan for Beginners - Unilang] *[https://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/audio/languagelessons/tonga/TN_Tonga_Language_Lessons.pdf Introduction to the Tongan Language - Peace Corps] '''Dictionaries''' * Turner, Wm Y. ''Tumbuka-Tonga-English dictionary.'' Blantyre: Hetherwick Press, 1952. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/1502034 WorldCat]. * Tesi, Afa. ''Tonga language: the Tonga phrasebook and dictionary.'' United States: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/1080148155 WorldCat]. * Thompson, Richard H and ʻOfa Thompson. ''The student's English-Tongan and Tongan-English dictionary.'' Palo Alto, Calif.: Friendly Isles Press, 2000. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/49518902 WorldCat]. '''Online Dictionaries''' *[https://en.glosbe.com/en/to English-Tongan Dictionary (Glosbe)] ==Additional Resources== * Hopgood, C R. ''A practical introduction to Tonga.'' London: Longmans Green, 1953. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/269267 WorldCat]. * Rutherford, Noel. ''Friendly Islands: a history of Tonga.'' New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/3763430 WorldCat]. ==References== [[Category:Tonga]] <references />