Moce
The phrase "have a good night" can be expressed in Fijian as Moce.
Moce is a general term for "goodbye". While it can be used to say "have a good night" at the end of the day or before someone goes to sleep, it is a versatile term for parting ways.
What does it mean word for word?
Moce is a general term for "goodbye" and does not literally contain the words for "night" or "good".
Did you know?
- The word moce is derived from a root meaning 'sleep'. This means that when you say 'goodbye' in Fijian, you are essentially telling the other person to 'sleep'.
- Unlike the English 'goodbye', which is a contraction of 'God be with ye', moce has no religious origin and is rooted entirely in the biological act of sleep.
- The phonetic structure of moce is remarkably similar to Tongan mohe, showing how closely related the island languages are despite the vast distances between them.
Examples in context
- Moce vinaka.Have a good night (goodbye).
Example conversation
Isoa and Teresia are saying goodbye at the end of a family dinner.
- IsoaSa oti na cakacaka, moce Teresia.The work is finished, good night Teresia.
- TeresiaMoce Isoa, sa tiko vinaka.Good night Isoa, all is well.
- IsoaMoce, sa yalo vaka me da moce.Good night, it seems we should sleep.
- TeresiaO sa dodonu, moce.You are right, good night.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries moce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
