Glossary

fa’ahinga extended family, a socio-political unit headed by an ‘ulumotu’a; kind, class

fahu man’s sister’s daughter or son. One’s fahu had almost unlimited liberties with one’s belongings

fakataha meeting

fatongia traditional responsibility or obligation, enforced labour or corvée

fono a compulsory assemblage of people to be informed of what their chief wanted them to do

ha’a class, the largest socio-political unit in Tonga—a loose confederation of genealogically related chiefs and their peoples

hau temporal ruler

hou’eiki chiefs

kainangaefonua commoners (literally eaters of the soil)

kā inga the equivalence of the present-day village, the most important socio-political unit in Tonga, headed by a ruling titled chief

kau class

kaukau circumcision

kau’inima cutting off little fingers and offering them as sacrifice to the gods

kau mu’a children of unions between a chief and woman of the matā pule class

kau papā langi Europeans

kau pō pū la slaves, usually captives in wars

kau tu’a commoners, see kainangaefonua

kava traditional drink, mostly used in ceremonies. It is made from the dried root of the kava plant ( piper methysticum)

kolo village

kolotau fortress

le’o kava guardian of the kava protocol

mala’e traditional meeting ground

mana supernatural power

matā pule chief’s attendant

moheofo principal wife of the Tu’i Tonga, usually the daughter of the hau or secular ruler

ngatu tapa cloth

polopolo first fruits, presentation of first fruits to one’s chief

Pulotu Tongan paradise

tapu taboo

tātatau tatoo

tofi’a inheritance, estate

tona yaws

tu’i ruler or king

tukuofo a ceremony of presentation of gifts at the funeral of a chief

’api household

’eiki toputapu sacred chief

‘inasi the annual tribute of first fruits to the Tu’i Tonga as representative of the god Hikule’o, the god of fertility and harvest

’ulumotu’a head of a fa’ahinga (extended family), he was either a chief, petty chief or a matā pule (chief’s attendant)