Aspiration in Two Polynesian Languages

G.B. Milner

doi:10.1017/S0041977X00072748

Aspiration in Two Polynesian Languages

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009

G.B. Milner

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In the summer of 1951, the presence in London of an Ellice Islander, Penitala Teo, gave me an opportunity of making a sound recording in a little-known Polynesian language. The briefness of his stay, as well as other factors, did not leave time for more than a cursory analysis of his speech, but there was enough evidence to establish a prima facie case for recognizing aspirated as well as non-aspirated consonants.

Type: Articles
Information: Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , June 1958 , pp. 368 - 375

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0041977X00072748 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1958

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^{page 368 note 1} For a synoptical table of consonants in a number of Polynesian languages, see Elbert, Samuel H., ‘Internal relationships of Polynesian languages and dialects’, Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, IX, 2, 1953, 154 ff.Google Scholar

^{page 368 note 2} Kennedy, D.G., Te ngangana a te Tuvalu. Handbook on the language of the Ellice Islands, Suva, 1945.Google Scholar

^{page 368 note 3} The Society has now appointed a missionary to the Ellice Islands, one of whose first tasks will be to compile a grammar and dictionary.

^{page 368 note 4} For the sake of brevity the word Ellice will be used to refer to the language of the Ellice Islands.

^{page 368 note 5} Kennedy, op. cit., 5.

^{page 369 note 1} The question of a consistent orthography for Ellice is not considered in the present article. A broad system of phonetic notation is therefore used except where stated otherwise.

^{page 369 note 2} Scott, N.C., ‘A study in the phonetics of Fijian’, BSOAS, XII, 3–4, 1948, 737–52, especially 743–6.Google Scholar

^{page 369 note 3} The editorial committee of Tola o Tuvalu have adopted the practice of using two letters to represent long vowels, thus: ii, ee, aa, etc. Their example has not yet been followed by all.

^{page 369 note 4} With the exception of the symbols used for aspirated plosives (the function of which is discussed in the present article), the notation employed in the following table is broad.

^{page 372 note 1} The people of Vaitupu trace their origins to Samoa, with whom they share some of their culture-heroes. See Kennedy, D.G., The culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands, New Plymouth, 1931, 153–235.Google Scholar

^{page 372 note 2} An inverted comma is used in Samoan to represent the glottal stop.

^{page 373 note 1} The letter g represents the velar nasal in Samoan orthography.

^{page 373 note 2} A macron is used in Samoan (though not consistently) to indicate length.

^{page 373 note 3} The Samoan word for a bat is pe’a. Bats being notorious for their evil smell, pepe'a has the meaning of malodorous. Curiously Vave does not know of a word peka in Ellice (on the assumption that pheka is a partly-reduplicated form) and according to him there are no bats on Vaitupu.

^{page 373 note 4} Thus tilima is the word for a shirt. Preceded by the common article it is realized as thilima (stressed on the penult).

^{page 373 note 5} Kapingamarangi is isolated between the principal island-groups of Melanesia and Micronesia, but it is inhabited by Polynesians.

^{page 373 note 6} Coordinated Investigation of Micronesian Anthropology.

^{page 373 note 7} Samuel H. Elbert, Grammar and comparative study of the language of Kapingamarangi, texts and word lists, Washington, National Research Council (Pacific Science Board), 1950.

^{page 373 note 8} Elbert, op. cit., 5 and 8.

^{page 374 note 1} For the sake of brevity the language of Kapingamarangi will be referred to as Kapingamarangi.

^{page 374 note 2} ibid., 229.

^{page 374 note 3} Partly-reduplicated forms are frequently used in Samoan verbal forms set in the plural. See for example Spencer Churchward, A new Samoan grammar, Melbourne, 1926, 65–9.

^{page 374 note 4} Elbert, Grammar, 25.

^{page 374 note 5} ibid., 191.

^{page 374 note 6} ibid., 231.

^{page 374 note 7} ibid., 181.

^{page 374 note 8} ibid., 215.

^{page 374 note 9} ibid., 194.

^{page 374 note 10} ibid., 177.

^{page 374 note 11} ibid., 181.

^{page 374 note 12} ibid., 25.

^{page 375 note 1} There are traditions recorded by ethnographers concerning (a) a settlement of Nukuoro (in the relative neighbourhood of Kapingamarangi) from Nukufetau in the Ellice Islands—see Kubary, J., ‘Beitrag z. Kenntniss d. Nukuoro- oder Monteverde-Inseln (Karolinen)’, Mitth. d. Gkogr. Ges. in Hamburg, XVI, 1900, 71–138;Google Scholar (b) a settlement of Nukuoro from Samoa via Nukufetau and Kapingamarangi—see Anneliese Eilers, Inseln urn Ponape (Brgebnisse d. Siidsee-Expedition 1908–1910, VIII), Hamburg, 1934; (c) a settlement of Kapingamarangi from Tamana in the Southern Gilberts (ibid.).

^{page 375 note 2} Elbert, Internal relationships, 169.

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