Glossary of Samoan Terms¹

A

aiuli	n. accompanying dancer(s), usually jokester figure(s)
ao	n. polite term: head; 2. title of significance for the whole of Samoa aitu n. spirit, ghost
aualuma	n. semiformal association of unmarried women in each village
‘aumaga	n. (body of) young (or untitled) men of the village
agaifanua	rule or law [pertaining to land and titles] that specifically applies to a family or a village and its origins in history and genealogy
agaga	n. soul or spirit
aganuu	n. custom
alii matua	n. elderly man
alofa	n. love, affection, mercy, compassion
anapogi	n. ascetic practice of fasting and seclusion
alaga’upu	n. proverb, saying, expression
alofa	n. love
amo	n. burden or load
‘ava	n. ceremony in which the beverage Kava is drunk; 2. beverage that is drunk in the ‘ava ceremony

E

eleele	n. earth, soil; 2. polite term: blood
I
ie faitaga	n. length of cloth with pockets worn by males, equivalent of trousers
ie toga	n. fine mat
Ieova	n. Jehovah
ifoga	n. ceremonial request for forgiveness made by an offender and his kinsmen to those injured
igoa	n. name

O

oia	v. to cut down a tree
oloolo	v. rub; 2. smooth

U

uiga	n. meaning; 2. manner; 3. behaviour
upega	n. fishing net
upega putuputu	n. close-weave net
upega valavala	n. wide-weave net
upu	n. word(s)
upu matatutupa	n. blunt words
upu matuia	n. sharp words
usuga	n. session (of a council); 2. formal visit

F

faaaloalo	v. to pay respect to
faautaga loloto	n. deep or indepth advice; 2. deep view; wisdom of the tulafale, orator. Complementary to tofā mamao
faafaletui	v. meeting for a specific discussion or purpose; 2. mentoring model of education
faalanu	v. to ask for forgiveness
faalavelave	n. situations and events that interfere with normal life and call for special attention, e.g., weddings and funerals
faamagalo	v. to forgive, to excuse
faamanuiaga	n. blessing; 2. good wishes
faaniusila	coined term: New Zealand versions of faasamoa
faasamoa	n. the Samoan way; Samoan customs and traditions; Samoan culture
faasinomaga	n. identity; 2. Divine designation
faasoa	v. polite term: to portion out, share; 2. pertains to the decision-making prerogatives of a chief
faifeau	n. pastor or minister
faiva	n. skill, craft; 2. affairs or business, e.g., faiva o malo (affairs of governance or state)
fau	n. tree (Hibiscus sp.); v. to make, construct
faugagana	n. proverb
fagogo	n. night tales; fables
fafano	v. to wash hands; n. ritual laying on of hands
fale	n. house
faletele	n. large meeting house in which visitors are received
faletua ma tausi	n. sector of Samoan village society: faletua is the honorific term for the wives of chiefs and pastors, and tausi, the wives of orators
fanua	n. land; 2. placenta
feagaiga	n. covenant, agreement; 2. special relationship between brother and sister and their children
feula le faamanuiaga	breathe blessings into the mouth of one’s successor
fisi	n. consummation chants
fono	n. meeting

G

gafa	n. lineage, genealogy

L

lauga	n. formal speech of orator, which has been tailored for specific social occasions (term is now applied loosely to refer to sermons and any formal speech)
lalolagi	n. earthly or worldly realm
lavalava	n. clothes; sarong
lei	n. garland
loto maulalo	n. humility

M

ma’ulu’ulu	n. kind of synchronised dance
mafaufau	v. to think, reflect; n. thoughts, mind
malamalama	n. daylight; light
malo	n. prevailing party; government
mama	n. bolus of premasticated food for a baby
mana	n. (supernatural) power
matai	n. titled head of a Samoan extended family
matatutupa	adj. blunt, e.g., upu matatutupa: blunt words
matua	n. (singular) parent; 2. older person
mātua	n. (pl) parents
matuia	adj. sharp, e.g., upu matuiā: sharp words
mavaega	n. last wishes of a dying person, verbal last will
moe alaala	interrupted sleep, waking sleep
muagagana	n. proverbial expression, first principle

P

pae ma auli	n. Samoan mediation
palapala	n. earth, soil; 2. polite term: blood
palusami	n. dish made with taro leaves and undiluted coconut cream commonly referred to as lu’au
papalagi/palagi	n. European, white man or woman
pouliuli	v. and adj. to be dark; 2. to be unenlightened, heathen
pulenuu	n. mayor; mayoralty
pute	n. umbilical cord
putuputu	adj. close together, close weave, e.g., upega putuputu, a close-weave net

S

saofaiga a matai	n. circle, grouping, conference of chiefs
siapo	n. bark cloth or clothing made from the bast of paper mulberry
sii alofa	n. presentation of traditional gifts at funeral; lit. presenting out of love
sua	n. food of the chief
suafa	n. polite term: name
su’esu’ega	n. the deliberate search for

T

taeao	n. dawn, tomorrow; 2. section of traditional lauga that emphasises key events in Samoan history
tautuanaga	n. the taking good care of; 2. the being careful to do or not do something
Tagaloaalagi	n. the god Tagaloa
talomua	n. ritualistic presentation of the first taro
tamaaiga	n. title given to the holder of one or more of the four highest titles of Samoa
tapa	n. (same as siapo) bark cloth or clothing made from the bast of paper mulberry tapu v.and adj. to be forbidden; 2. recognition of the sacred connections between all things
tapuitea	n. morning and evening star
taualuga	n. dance of the chief’s daughter, taupou; 2. wooden shelter on top of the central posts inside the frame of the traditional house
taulaga	n. offering
taulasea	n. traditional healer
taule’ale’a	n. young untitled man (pl. taulele’a)
Taupou	n. village maidens, the daughters of chiefs
tautai	n. master fisherman
tautu ‘ava	n. ‘ava distributor during ‘ava ceremony. He has dispensation to cross the floor in front of the chiefs.
tatau	n. traditional tattoo
taro	n.(usu. talo) cultivated plant (Colocasia sp.) whose bulbous roots are edible and are a staple food
tevolo	n. devil (name given to Tamafaiga)
tiapolo	n. devil
tini	n. wedding chants
tino	n. body

tofā mau	n. firm wisdom
tofā mamao	n. long view wisdom; 2. wisdom of the alii, chief. Complementary to faautaga loloto
tofā sa’ili	n. search for long view wisdom
tofi	n. profession, occupation; 2. Divine designation, responsibilities
tuā’oi	n. boundaries
tuua	n. the head orator (tulafale tāua) of a village
tufaatino	n. place where one stands
tufuga	n. craftsman, specialist, expert
tufuga faufale	n. craftsman, builder of houses
tulafale	n. orator chief
tulafono	n. law
tūlātī	n. literally referring to someone who stands out or above others; a term used to refer to the head orator of a family or to an orator of significant status within the family
tupua	n. family god; 2. riddle

V

va	n. physical and relational space between people and things
va tapuia	n. sacred spaces/connections between people and things
va fealoaloa’i	n. social spaces/connections between people
valavala	adj. wide apart, far apart

1These definitions, where appropriate, have been taken from two standard Samoan dictionaries: Pratt, G. (1893). Pratt’s Grammar and Dictionary. Papakura, New Zealand: Southern Reprints; and Milner, G. (2003). Samoan Dictionary. Auckland, New Zealand: Pasifika Press.