Tangata
/ta.ŋa.ta/
The Tongan word for man is Tangata.
Tangata is used to refer to an adult male human.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables: /ta.ŋa.ta/.
Did you know?
- In traditional Tongan social hierarchy, terms for 'man' can change depending on whether the person is a commoner or a noble.
- The word Tangata is a cognate of the Maori word 'tangata' and the Hawaiian 'kanaka', which are used to describe people or humans across the Pacific.
- While tangata means 'man', the Tongan language uses a separate set of pronouns to distinguish between 'inclusive' and 'exclusive' groups of people.
Example conversation
Viliami and Mele are talking about a guest who arrived.
- ViliamiNa'e ha'u ha tangata ki he fale.A man came to the house.
- MeleKo hai ia?Who is he?
- ViliamiKo ha tangata faka-vave ia.He is a fast man.
- MeleOk, au na'e 'ilo.Okay, I know.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry tangata.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tangata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
