lomalagi
The Fijian word for heaven is lomalagi.
lomalagi is used to refer to both the physical sky and the spiritual concept of heaven or paradise.
Meaning: paradise and upper-world (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of loma, meaning inside, middle or space and lagi, meaning sky or heaven.
Did you know?
- The word lomalagi emerged in the Bauan dialect because the original word for sky, lagi, evolved in many other dialects to mean 'rain'.
- The use of lomalagi in religious contexts in Fiji was heavily influenced by the translation of the Bible into the Bauan dialect during the 19th century.
- To a Fijian speaker, describing heaven as lomalagi implies it is located within the space of the heavens rather than above them.
Examples in context
- E lomalagi na vanua oqo.This land is heaven.
Example conversation
Jone and Teresia are talking about their faith.
- JoneO kemuni ni vakabauti na lomalagi?Do you believe in heaven?
- TeresiaIo, au vakabauti kina.Yes, I believe in it.
- JoneE sa qai vaka vei na lomalagi?What is heaven like?
- TeresiaE sa qai vakavinaka sara.It is very beautiful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lomalagi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
