pea
The Tongan word for the English phrase bear is pea.
pea refers to a large mammal of the family Ursidae.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Did you know?
- The word pea also serves as the Tongan word for 'and'. This means a sentence can literally describe a list of animals and a conjunction using the exact same sound.
- Because it is a borrowed word, pea does not have the complex ancestral kinship terms that native Tongan animals or plants might have.
- If a Tongan speaker uses the word pea in a story, they are often signaling that the setting is outside of the Polynesian islands.
Examples in context
- ʻOku ʻi ai e pea ʻi he fakaofo.There is a bear in the zoo.
Example conversation
Viliami and Losa are looking at a picture book about animals.
- ViliamiViliami, faka-mai e potutohi 'o e pea.Viliami, show me the page with the bear.
- LosaKo e pea ko iá 'oku kovi.That bear is dangerous.
- ViliamiKae 'oku faka-fo'i 'oku 'ino'ino.But it looks cute.
- LosaKo e pea ko iá 'oku lōloa ia.That bear is huge.
