po
The English word 'slap' is translated into Samoan as po.
The term po refers to a blow dealt with the open hand.
Meaning: A blow dealt with the open hand (noun)
Did you know?
- The word po is a homonym in Samoan, as it also means 'night'. Context is the only way to tell if someone is referring to a 'slap' or the time of day.
- If you were to use the word po in a formal 'ava ceremony setting, it would be entirely out of place, as such settings demand highly specific, respectful vocabulary.
- The word po follows a phonetic pattern where tiny shifts in vowel duration can change the entire meaning of a word.
Example conversation
Sina and Tau are discussing a fight they saw.
- SinaNa e vaai i le po?Did you see the slap?
- TauIoe, na malosi tele.Yes, it was very strong.
- SinaNa sili atu le po i le tasi.The slap was better on one.
- TauE sa'o lava lena mea, Sina.That is very true, Sina.
