Tongan is more distantly related to other polynesian languages such as hawaiian, samoan, māori, and tahitian, among others. Tongan is the most commonly heard language in public places, such as markets, schools, offices and churches The summit of volcanic undersea mountains forms the two roughly parallel chains of the tongan islands
Erome - Erome
Most of the islands of the western chain are classified as high islands, because they have been raised well above sea level by repeated volcanic activity
Four of them are still active volcanoes.
Because of her vision, tongan culture is an integral part of the school curriculum Students learn tongan history, traditional poetry, music, and dancing, along with wood carving, mat weaving, and bark cloth making. In this article, we will delve into the tongan language’s intricacies, its historical background, linguistic characteristics, pronunciation nuances, common words and phrases, and its profound connection to tongan culture. Families are paramount in tongan life with each member playing a defined role
Women have a higher social standing than other polynesian cultures, with some authority over male family members.tongans enjoy the beach and the sea and revel in any opportunity to sing and dance. The following “basic tongan” lessons will help you get a head start in learning the language and using colloquial phrases that will help you survive during your home stay experience and in your first weeks in tonga. Tongan is a polynesian language spoken mainly on the island of tonga in the pacfic, and also in samoa, fiji, niue, vanuatu and a number of other coutries. Tongan is one of the multiple languages in the polynesian branch of the austronesian languages, along with hawaiian, cook islander, māori, and tahitian, for example.
I came across this video which is timely with ‘aotearoa celebrating yet another tongan language week
To add to isoa’ great explanation, i want to bring some language and my own personal insight into how tongans view this important concept.
