pulu fefine
The Tongan word for cow is pulu fefine.
pulu fefine refers to an adult female of the species Bos taurus.
Meaning: adult female of species Bos taurus (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pulu, meaning cattle or livestock and fefine, meaning female.
How does it change in a sentence?
Tongan does not use plural suffixes for nouns like pulu fefine. Plurality is typically indicated by context or numbers.
Did you know?
- The word fefine can be traced back to the Proto-Austronesian root bahi, which connects the Tongan word for 'female' to ancient languages spoken across Southeast Asia.
- In Tonga, livestock like pulu are not just farm animals but function as traditional symbols of wealth and status used in formal ceremonial gifts.
- The word fefine in pulu fefine is a linguistic twin to the word fafine, which is the standard term for 'woman'.
Examples in context
- 'Oku 'i ai e pulu fefine.The cow is there.
Example conversation
Losa and Akuila are walking past a farm.
- LosaVakai mai ki e pulu fefine ko iá!Look at that cow!
- AkuilaʻOku lelei mo ʻoku telefua ia.It is healthy and big.
- LosaʻOku ʻi ai ha pulu fefine ʻoku ʻou ʻiloa.There is a cow that I know.
- AkuilaKo e pulu fefine ʻa e tokotaha ko hā?Whose cow is it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fefine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
