pālangi
The Tongan word for white person is pālangi.
pālangi is the standard term used to refer to any person of light skin or Western origin.
What does it mean word for word?
The word pālangi literally refers to a person of European or Western descent.
Did you know?
- If a person of any ethnicity is acting in a way that follows Western social norms, a Tongan might use the term pālangi metaphorically to describe their behavior.
- The word pālangi is used across many Polynesian languages, including Samoan and Maori, to describe people of European descent.
- In modern Tongan, pālangi can sometimes be used as an adjective to describe things that are 'foreign' or 'Western-style', even if they are not people.
Examples in context
- Na'e ha'u ha pālangi ki he fononga.A white person came to the village.
Example conversation
Sione and Sina are talking about a new neighbor.
- SioneKo hai e taha ‘o e kainga foou?Who is the new neighbor?
- SinaKo e pālangi faka-Amerika ia.He is an American white person.
- Sione‘Oku ‘ilo e pālangi ētō ‘a e lea?Does that white person know the language?
- Sina‘Io, ‘oku ia lava ‘o lea.Yes, he can speak.
