ʻuliʻuli
ʻuliʻuli is the Tongan word for black.
The word ʻuliʻuli is an adjective used to describe something that is black, or absorbing all light.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
Did you know?
- The word ʻuliʻuli can be used as a verb to describe the action of something becoming dark or even to describe the process of darkening a cloth with dye.
- In traditional Tongan contexts, black fabrics or adornments are not exclusively associated with mourning in the same rigid way as in Western cultures.
- The glottal stop, represented by the symbol ʻ in ʻuliʻuli, is a full consonant in Tongan and changing it would completely change the word's meaning.
Example sentences for Tongan are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Akuila and Sina are looking at a piece of clothing.
- AkuilaʻOku fakaʻapaʻapa ˈa e kofu ʻuliʻuli ko ēní.This black dress is respectful.
- SinaʻOku fai moʻoni, Akuila.It really is, Akuila.
- AkuilaʻOku ʻuliʻuli fakaʻaufoa ˈa e lau ko ēní.This fabric is completely black.
- SinaʻOku ʻuaua fēfē ˈa e koloa ko ēní?How much does this item cost?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
