AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

The Tongan world-view is shaped through the use of its language. Tongan language gives and reinforces a Tongan world-view and Tongan way of being in the world (Taumoefolau, 2010). This essay will discuss and evaluate the significance of the Tongan language in shaping the Tongan world-view with examples from social organization within the Tongan society. 

To understand how language and vocabulary portrays the Tongan world-view one needs to understand the social organization of Tonga.   Tongan society is traditionally organized according to rank; Chiefliness – ‘eiki, toto‘i ‘eiki (chiefly blood) Seniority - lahi mo e si‘i (older and younger) Gender - tangata pe fefine (male or female). There are also two prominent units- the family unit and the village unit. Language vocabulary which shapes the Tongan world-view can be found within the following settings in society; Famili/ Kainga (nuclear family/ extended), Kolo (village) and Fonua (land) (Taumoefolau, 2010).

Within the Kainga/Famili setting, one learns of values and the words which describe these values shapes one's world-view. From the moment you are old enough to understand your surroundings, one begins to adapt and learn that as you grow older it is prohibited to touch your father’s head or eat his left over food. Also you find that it is prohibited to touch the heads of family members who are older than you even though you may be close to one another. It is believed that if you do you may develop some terrible affliction or something bad may happen to you. In discovering all this, you are learning the meaning of the word tapu, a key concept in the Tongan experience. This word entered the English language as “taboo”- probably because of its great cultural significance and also because it lacked an exact English translation. As you grow older and develop a very strong sense of tapu associated with your father, you also learn the meanings of words such as fakaongongo (listen to) and talangofua (obedience). Your father is the head of the family and it means every member of the family has to fakaongoongo and talangofua to whatever it is he says. The tapu between you and your father is so strong that to break it is considered to be sacrilege and can have bad implications such as receiving degrading comments or names with which you are taunted or gossiped about in the village. You will also learn that there is tapu between you and your siblings. For instance there are certain things that you cannot do or say in front of your sister/brother and vice versa. In his/her presence you are not allowed to kapekape (swear or say inappropriate things) or to refer to anything with sexual connotation. And no one will kapekape either when both of you are present. You soon learn the phrase feuluulufi e nofo, which means brothers and sisters (or people with a similar kinship connection) are present. At such times, vulgar or rude jokes and so on are strictly tapu. You are also prohibited to wear thin material clothing or clothing that may be inappropriate when your brothers/sisters are around. These prohibitions show that you are in a relationship of faka’ap’apa (respect) or tapu (prohibition) with your brother/sister or any other family member of the opposite sex.

Having had these experiences within the Kainga/ Famili settings, one becomes more conscious of their surroundings as well as their rank, in other words they grow up being rank-conscious; your attitude towards people will be affected by this rank-consciousness. There is no such thing as equality in the Tongan world-view that is to say that everyone is not born equal as is seen within the Kainga/ Famili setting; a person who is fa’e (mother) may also be a tuofefine (male’s sister) and a mehekitanga (father’s sister). A person who is fahu (superior) to one family may, at the same time, be liongi (inferior) to another. So in reality, everyone has a share in the kinship blessings and curses.

In a world-view where rank is important, qualities such as fakatokilalo/ faka’aki’akimui (humility), faka’apa’apa (respect), and talangofua/ talaiangi (respectful obedience) will naturally be very important. The importance of rank is reflected in the different levels of language that correspond to social ranks.

The social setting in which this is reflected and learnt is when talking or addressing the monarch and nobles. For example when talking about or addressing the monarch, regal vocabulary is used and used only in reference to the monarch. For instance; the King ha’ele (regal for “go”) but does not ‘alu (ordinary for “go”). He taumafa (regal for “eat”) but not kai (ordinary for “eat”), and so on. This is the same for nobles, a noble for example is tuputamaki (chiefly for “angry”) but not ita (ordinary for “angry”), he may pekia (chiefly for “die”) but not mate (ordinary for “die”). These chiefly and regal vocabularies, and many more are examples of the different levels of the Tongan language which are used based on social status and ranking.

However this is not the only way to address royalty or the chiefs. When speaking to a person of higher rank than yourself, you the speaker put yourself down deliberately in order to elevate the person being addressed. This is a form of respectful language; it is a form of figurative language in which you make yourself, your possessions and your actions less dignified than they really are (Taumoefolau, 2010). This way of speaking or form of language is known as lea faka’aki’akimui/ fakatokilalo (self-derogatory language). This can be seen when in the presence of a chief, you refer to your children as ‘uhiki (animal young) even though they are not or wife a finemotu’a (old woman) although she is not. This way of speaking is seen as a way of humbling one self and being very respectful in both the community and family setting.

In the Tongan society, showing respect through language is a crucial part of the culture and world-view. Being Tongan includes knowing your place in the hierarchy of the nation in general, but also in the hierarchy of the family (Taumoefolau, 2010). This is why language of different levels of social rank intertwines with the social organization of the Tongan society.  Compared to other Pacific languages which have lost most of the social stratification within their community, Tongans have preserved and still continue to practice their culture.

Being Tongan and being able to speak the language shapes your identity, but showing respect through the use of language and knowing your place in society is the very essence of being Tongan and brings about a sense of Tonganness. Tongans who are born overseas can learn to speak the language or not at all, if they choose not to they lose the understanding and importance of language to the Tongan world-view, and to lose this is to lose one's Tonganness.

In conclusion, language is significant in shaping the Tongan world-view as this essay has discussed. The Tongan language, with its unique stratification with relation to the social stratification of the Tongan society, shapes the Tongan world-view through the constant use of the language. Without language we have no world-view and without a world-view we would have no sense of identity.

Bibliography

Taumoefolau, M. (2010). Special Language Considerations- Honorific Language in Tonga. Unpublished lecture notes, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Taumoefolau, M. (2010). Language of Social Organization in Tonga. Unpublished lecture notes, University of Auckland, New Zealand.