tuagane o le tina
The English word uncle is translated into Samoan as tuagane o le tina.
This noun refers to a brother or brother-in-law of someone's parent.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Which one should you use?
To specify a maternal uncle, you use tuagane o le tina, while for a paternal uncle, you use tuagane o le tamā (younger brother of the father).
Did you know?
- Samoan kinship terms are often 'classificatory', meaning people may use tuagane for men who are not biologically uncles but hold a similar social status in the extended family.
- The word tuagane is actually a combination of two ancient roots meaning 'friend' and 'brother of a female'.
- In Samoan culture, the distinction between tuagane o le tina and tuagane o le tamā is vital because the specific lineage of an uncle determines different social obligations and levels of respect.
Example conversation
Talisa and Sione are looking at a family photo.
- TalisaO ai lenei tuagane o le tina?Who is this uncle?
- SioneO ia o lo'u tuagane o le tina mai Amerika.He is my uncle from America.
- TalisaE matua talavale o ia.He looks very tall.
- SioneAe ua leva ona matou feiloa'i.But we haven't seen each other in a long time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tuagane, CC BY-SA 4.0.
