Tagata
The Samoan word for man is Tagata.
Tagata is used to refer to an adult male human.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Did you know?
- In Samoan culture, the status of a tagata is often defined by their relationship to the family and village rather than just their individual identity.
- The word tagata is a distant relative of the Hawaiian word kanaka, which is often used in English to refer to a person of Polynesian descent.
- In certain traditional contexts, the way a tagata speaks depends entirely on whether they are addressing a chief or a commoner.
Examples in context
- Tālofa, Uso!Hello, Bro!
- O le tagata o loʻo i luna.The man is up there.
- E tasi le tagata ua ou vaai atu.I saw one man.
- O se tagata lelei lena.That is a good man.
Example conversation
A woman and a man are talking about a neighbor.
- TauO ai le tagata lea?Who is that man?
- MereO loʻu uo lava ia.He is just my friend.
- TauO se tagata lelei ia?Is he a good man?
- MereIoe, o le tagata sili lea.Yes, he is a great man.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tagata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
