Tonga Languages: Difference between revisions

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{{breadcrumb  
{{CountrySidebar
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|Name=Tonga
|Type=Topic
|Topic Type=Background
|Background=Languages
|Rating=Standardized
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| link1=[[Tonga Genealogy|Tonga]]
| link1=[[Tonga Genealogy|Tonga]]
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| link5=[[Tonga Languages|Languages]]
| link5=[[Tonga Languages|Languages]]
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==Description==
==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>
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>
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==Word List(s)==
==Word List(s)==
*[https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/tongan.php Useful Tongan phrases - Omniglot]
==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
==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 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==
==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==
==References==
[[Category:Tonga]]
[[Category:Tonga]]
<references />

Latest revision as of 21:15, 20 March 2024


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Description[edit | edit source]

The Tongan language is the official language, along with English. Tongan, a Polynesian language, is closely related to Wallisian (Uvean), Niuean, Hawaiian, and Samoan. [1]

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. [2]

Word List(s)[edit | edit source]

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

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:

Tongan alphabet
Letter a e f h i k l m n ng o p s t u v ʻ (fakauʻa)
Pronunciation /a/ /e/ /f/ /h/ /i/ /k/ /l/ /m/ /n/ /ŋ/1 /o/ /p/2 /s/3 /t/ /u/ /v/ /ʔ/4

Notes:

  1. written as g but still pronounced as [ŋ] (as in Samoan) before 1943
  2. unaspirated; written as b before 1943
  3. sometimes written as j before 1943
  4. 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.

Language Aids and Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Language Aids

Dictionaries

  • Turner, Wm Y. Tumbuka-Tonga-English dictionary. Blantyre: Hetherwick Press, 1952. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Tesi, Afa. Tonga language: the Tonga phrasebook and dictionary. United States: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016. Available at: 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: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

  • Hopgood, C R. A practical introduction to Tonga. London: Longmans Green, 1953. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Rutherford, Noel. Friendly Islands: a history of Tonga. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. Available at: WorldCat.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Tonga," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga#Languages, accessed 2 Apr 2021.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Tongan language," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language, accessed 2 Apr 2021.
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