When we discuss linguistic diversity, we almost always gravitate to the number of languages spoken or used in a particular region or country. Sometimes, we would also see the Gini index, which estimates the probability of two randomly selected individuals from a region or country who speak different languages. In these cases, talks of the … Continue reading The most linguistically dense country on Earth
Polynesian
Reduplication in some Malayo-Polynesian languages
When learning languages such as te reo MÄori and Gagana SÄmoa, I cannot help but notice that there are a bunch of words that feature some form of duplication in them. For example, in Samoan, several colour terms are reduplicated, such as uliuli (black) and pa'epa'e (white). In MÄori, there are words such as huihui … Continue reading Reduplication in some Malayo-Polynesian languages
Trying to understand MÄori months
Recently, I have found myself back in the mood of learning te reo MÄori more seriously, as I take larger strides in learning and familiarising myself with the words of the language. While some words sound like loanwords that have entered MÄori, some others remind me of languages like Malay or Indonesian. But there is … Continue reading Trying to understand MÄori months
Why does the Hawaiian language have so few sounds?
The Hawaiian alphabet is short. In comparison with the English set of 26 letters, Hawaiian has only 13. 5 vowels, 7 consonants, and the 'okina, written as '. There is the macron used to mark long vowels in the Hawaiian language, but these vowels carrying macrons are not considered separate letters. With such a short … Continue reading Why does the Hawaiian language have so few sounds?
Te Reo MÄori o Aotearoa — The MÄori Language
Aotearoa, or New Zealand, is amazing. Uninhabited before the 13th century, the Eastern Polynesians settled here after a long series of voyages through the islands of the South Pacific. These early settlers would later be the MÄori people, calling Aotearoa their home. Now numbering about 775 000 in New Zealand (as of the 2018 census), … Continue reading Te Reo MÄori o Aotearoa — The MÄori Language
The Language Closet 