Proto-Polynesian (abbreviated PPn) is the reconstructed proto-language from which all modern Polynesian languages descend. It is a descendant of the Proto-Oceanic language (the language associated with the Lapita civilization), itself a descendant of Proto-Austronesian. The homeland of Proto-Polynesian speakers is believed to have been Tonga, Samoa, and nearby islands.
Phonology
Proto-Polynesian has a small phonological inventory, with 13 consonants and 5 vowels.
Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Velar GlottalNasal Plosive Fricative Approximant *lTrill
Vowels Proto-Polynesian had five vowels, , with no length distinction. In a number of daughter languages, successive sequences of vowels came together to produce long vowels and diphthongs, and in some languages these sounds later became phonemic.
Sound correspondences Following principles of the Comparative method, it is possible to observe regular sound correspondences among Polynesian languages, and to reconstruct the most likely protophoneme for every ancestral step.For languages of French Polynesia, the correspondences are given on p.93 of:
Proto-Polynesian Niuean Niuafoʻou Tongan Proto-Nuclear-Polynesian Vaeakau-Taumako Samoan ~ Wallisian East Futunan Tokelauan Tuvaluan Pukapukan Kapingamarangi Nukuoroan Sikaiana Takuu Tikopian, Emae Mele Futuna-Aniwa Rennellese Anuta Luangiua Proto-Eastern-Polynesian Tongareva Rapa Nui Tuamotuan, Manihiki Māori Rapa Iti Mangareva, Cook Islands Māori Rurutu Tahitian Ra’ivavae N. Marquesan S. Marquesan Hawaiian
Vocabulary The following is a table of some sample vocabulary as it is represented orthographically in various languages. All instances of represent a glottal stop, IPA . All instances of and Samoan represent the single phoneme . The letter in all cases represents voiced alveolar tap , not .
Polynesian vocabularyProto-PolynesianTonganNiueanSamoanRapa NuiTahitianMāoriCook Islands MāoriS. MarquesanHawaiianEnglishtangatatangatatagatatangatata'atatangatatangataenatakanakapersonhinahinasinahinahinahinahinainahinagrey-hairedkanahekanaheanae'anaekanaekanaeanaemulletsialetialetialetiaretiaretīaretiarekieleflowervakavakavaavakava'awakavakavakawaacanoefefinefifinefafinevi'e/vahinevahinewahinevainevehinewahinewomanmātu'amotuamatuamatuametuamātuametua, matuamotuamakuaparentuaualuaruaruaArchaic: the modern Tahitian word for two is piti, due to the practice of pi'i among Tahitians, a form of linguistic taboo. However, the cognate remains in the second-person dual pronoun ōrua, roughly translated you two.ruaruaualuatwotolutolutolutorutorutorutorutoukoluthree
See also Proto-Oceanic language Proto-Austronesian language Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language Proto-Philippine language
Notes
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