tama a le tuafafine
The Samoan word for nephew is tama a le tuafafine.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal nephew (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tama a le tuafafine literally translates to 'son of the sister'.
Which one should you use?
To specify a nephew from a brother rather than a sister, use tama a le tuagāne (son of the brother).
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify the relation to a brother, use the form tama a le tuagāne (son of the brother).
Did you know?
- In traditional Samoan culture, the tama a le tuafafine (sister's son) often holds a more significant and affectionate relationship with his maternal uncle than the tama a le tuagāne (brother's son).
- The concept of 'nephew' is deeply tied to the concept of 'va', or the sacred space and relationships between people, where knowing the exact relation is vital for social harmony.
- Depending on the village hierarchy, a tama a le tuafafine might be addressed by a title that reflects the prestige of his mother's lineage rather than his own name.
Examples in context
- E alofa tele le tama a le tuafafine ia te ia.The nephew loves her very much.
Example conversation
Sina and Sione are talking about family at a gathering.
- SinaSione, o ai lea o lau tama a le tuafafine?Sione, who is that nephew of yours?
- SioneO ia o le tama o lo'u tuafafine.He is the son of my sister.
- SinaE matua sili atu ona talavale lea tama a le tuafafine.That nephew is very well-behaved.
- SioneFa'afetai, e lelei tele o ia.Thank you, he is very good.
