kumā
/ku.maː/
The Tongan word for rat is kumā.
The word kumā is used to refer to a rodent.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /ku.maː/.
Did you know?
- The Pacific rat was one of the few mammals brought to the islands by early Polynesian voyagers during their migrations.
- While English speakers use 'rat' to describe a person who betrays a friend, Tongan culture relies on different idiomatic expressions involving animals to convey similar social betrayals.
- The Proto-Polynesian root *kumaa connects the Tongan kumā to a vast network of Pacific languages, making it a 'cognate' with words in distant islands like Hawaii or New Zealand.
Examples in context
- Naʻe ʻi ai ha kumā.There was a rat.
- ʻOku ʻi ai ha kumā ʻi ʻapi.There is a rat in the house.
Example conversation
Sina and Tevita are cleaning the kitchen.
- SinaTevita, na'a ke hoko ha kumā?Tevita, did you see a rat?
- Tevita'Ikai, ko e hā?No, why?
- SinaKuo 'ai 'e ha kumā 'a e pauni.A rat has eaten the bun.
- TevitaAo, tau kumi 'ia.Oh, let's look for it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries kumā, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kumā, CC BY-SA 4.0.
