faʻētangata
The Tongan word for uncle is faʻētangata.
faʻētangata is used to refer to the brother or brother-in-law of one's parent.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Did you know?
- In Tongan culture, an uncle like a faʻētangata may hold a higher social rank than a biological father depending on the family's hierarchy.
- Tongan has different words for uncles depending on whether they are from the father's side or the mother's side, a distinction called 'bifurcate merging'.
- The glottal stop in faʻētangata is represented by the inverted comma, which is a distinct consonant sound in Tongan that can change a word's meaning entirely.
Example conversation
Losa is introducing her family member to Akuila.
- LosaKo hoku faʻētangata ʻeni.This is my uncle.
- AkuilaMalo e leo, faʻētangata.Hello, uncle.
- LosaKo ia ʻa e tokuaʻaki ʻa hoku tamai.He is my father's brother.
- AkuilaʻOku malava ke tau talaki.It is nice to meet him.
