Talk:Tongan language

<1% Tongans speak English?

In the List of languages by number of native speakers article, Tonga is said to have <1% English speaking community despite its official status. I know this to be untrue, albeit, I have no evidence for this, i.e. web-links and such. Is there any site with which I could cite? -- Greaser 08:22, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

I think the statement might be true, or at least close to it. That website looks at primary languages only. Perhaps 99% of the Tongans do know (some) English, but only very few have it as their primary language. I do not know of any quotable source, though. --Tauʻolunga 10:00, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

Funny, because if Tongan language has very few daily written material, and the majority of the population is educated...it seems discrimination on their part. Elle _{vécut heureuse} ^{à jamais} (Be eudaimonic!) 02:26, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

IPA

This article ought to have IPA in it. Mo-Al 01:44, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Nevermind, I added it. Mo-Al 17:09, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

Proto-Polynesian

Shouldn't there be a Proto-Polynesian column on the table in the "Related languages" section? Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Polynesian languages, or I'd research it myself. Mo-Al 02:04, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Reference to writers of Tongan being lazy

The use of the word "lazy" when refering to writers of the Tongan language is pejorative and unnecessary. I'm going to remove it.

I whole heartedly second that motion! -- Greaser 22:03, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

You may change the words, but it will not change the fact.

Alright. If it's factual, then produce credible resources to support the statement and maybe it can be worked back in.

Table of linguistic correspondences

The word for pig (puaka etc) was used to illustrate the reflexes of proto-Polynesian *k. I changed this to the word for canoe (vaka etc) since the Māori word for pig (poaka) is generally considered to be a loanword from English from "porker", and because the word for canoe is attested in all the mentioned languages. Also replaced the non-Polynesian language Fijian with examples from Proto-Polynesian. Kahuroa 18:44, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Third article

There needs to be a discussion of the "third" article, si'i, which can be used instead of ha and (h)e to indicate an emotional relationship with the following noun. It would probably be translated "dear" or "poor," depending on the context. 207.69.137.9 04:56, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Objective and subjective possession

Tongan makes a distinction between objective and subjective possession, with the result in a number of possessive forms for the pronouns. (Different prepositions are also used to show objective and subjective possession by lexical nouns.) In brief, the relationship between and objective possession and the thing possessed is like that between the object of a verb and the verb itself, while the subjective possession is comparable to that between the the subject of a verb and the verb itself. 207.69.137.9 04:56, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Numbers

Tongan uses three numbers--singular, dual, and plural (three or more). Dual and plural markers are placed in front of (rather than suffixed to) their respective nouns. I believe 'ongo is used for duals, while there are several different markers used for plurals of three or more: ngaahi, kau, fanga, and u are probably the most common ones, but others are used. The first one is used for people and things, the second for people, the third for animals, and the last for certain objects in the sky (cf. u mahina "moons" and ngaahi mahina "months"). However, someone with more knowledge of the language will have to deal with this. 207.69.137.9 04:56, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Pronouns

Persons

Tongan uses four persons, rather than three: first inclusive, first exclusive (depending on whether the person addressed is included), second, and third. The first inclusive vs. exclusive distinction is more easily observed in the plural, where a Tongan would use a different pronoun for the expressions "Let's go!" and "Let us go! (But you stay.)" The first inclusive pronoun also exists in the singular, but is not used very much (there is a proverb about selflessness that uses it, but I don't know it well enough to put it here). 207.69.137.9 04:56, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Articles

Possessive pronouns are attached to the articles, including ha and si'i. This means there is a specific pronoun that means "my dear . . ." (si'eku, I believe) as opposed to "my . . ." (ho'o, I believe) or "a . . . that I might have" (ha'o, I believe). (My uncertainty about the specific forms makes it impossible for me to put this discussion into the main article.) 207.69.137.9 04:56, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Edited by same user to clarify what type of pronouns is under discussion.

The original article (in 2005 or so) only covered alphabet, accents and registers. No one has ever taken the time to extend to include articles, number, pronouns and so forth and so forth. I can do it, when I have some time, it is just copying the contents from Churchward's Tongan grammer. Or someone else can do it. --Tauʻolunga 06:05, 14 May 2007 (UTC)