AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

This essay will discuss the importance of language in broadening and deepening our understanding of Pacific peoples and their cultures in the contemporary world. It will focus on examples from the Tongan language and how it portrays the Tongan culture in the different aspects of the society and culture.

Culture can be defined as the typical kind of behavior of a particular society or a group of people. Particular lifestyles that render them different from another are seen in their customs, traditions that they keep, and the kind of language that they speak. The Tongan language is a crucial element because it is the very essence of the Tongan culture. In the contemporary world the Tongan language still helps people to understand the Tongan culture; this is due to the fact that traditions and customs which have been practiced in Tonga are still practiced today. This allows for the survival of the language and therefore the culture survives.

Language is seen as a carrier and preserver of culture. Faka'apa'apa (respect) is a key concept within the Tongan language. Words that portray faka'apa'apa (respect) are found in the Tongan language and are practiced within the different units of society such as the family and also in the broader context especially when dealing with people of higher rank or status. A distinctive feature of the Tongan language is the honorific speech register or the different levels of language use which reflect the different social classes. For a long time Tongan society has been divided in to three main social classes; Tu'i (King), hou'eiki (Nobles or Chiefs), and kakai or tu'a (people or
commoners). Of the three, kakai were of lower status to the other two and therefore different words were used when addressing a person within any of these ranks. Not only did this define the status of a person, it was practiced as a way of showing respect to that person. For example when a tu'a is eating the word for that would be kai but for a hou'eiki, 'ilo would be the word that is used or taumafa for Tu'i. This can be called the language of faka'apa'apa and it has been preserved and practiced up to this day. Through this of language for the different social levels in society, we are able to understand the Tonga culture and the emphasis it has on faka'ap'apa. This cultural
practice is still alive and is still in use in the contemporary world especially in formal occasions when people of high status are present at such gatherings.

Another form in which language is used as a carrier of culture is the use of poetic place names. Poetic place names are complimentary names which are given to certain locations or particular villages that have a landmark, or scenic spots which characterizes that village. These poetic place names are used in songs and poems to praise people and their place of origin (Taumoefolau, 2010). The use of these names in songs and poems is collectively called laumatanga (recounting of scenic spots). The use of these poetics place are mostly reserved for use only in songs and poems or used in formal speeches, oratory in funerals, celebrations and cultural celebrations.
They are hardly used in informal gatherings or situations (Taumoefolau, 2010). Culture is preserved through poetic place names as it gives us a feeling of love of country, love of family and kin, and love of identity. Through the use of the laumatanga we are preserving the culture of using place names, because they are a part of our identity, we identify ourselves with these poetic place, our genealogy, history and the land or place from which we come from. Laumatanga also conveys culture through the practice of its use in formal occasion as a sign of faka'apa'apa. This can also tie into the language of faka'apa'apa which I have mentioned earlier.

Taumoefolau (2010) argues that the Tongan language strengthens the members' mutual ties and sense of affinity and builds a barrier to outsiders. Through the use of hingoa mataapule (chiefly names) the culture of passing on hereditary names is being practiced. Hingoa mataapule are titles which are only passed down from father to son or through blood line. Every village in Tonga has their own mataapule with a name which has been passed down through their family. These names are unique to them; you will never find two or more people from different villages with the same hingoa mataapule. This way, a holder of a hingoa mataapule will take pride in his title, and no
matter where he goes, people will know them by their hingoa mataapule instead of their Christian name. Their hingoa mataapule will let others know what village they come from in Tonga. The passing of hingoa mataapule as I have mentioned earlier is hereditary practice and is only passed down through blood line. This practice reserves the authentication of hingoa mataapule and keeps it within the Tongan culture. With hingoa mataapule comes various duties and obligations to your village and its sacred traditions. Tofavaha, a mataapule from Niutoua for example has been given the duty of protecting the sacred fish of Niutoua the Vete.

The use of flower names is also a way in which language defines culture. A perfect example of this is the use of heliaki by the late Queen Salote of Tonga. Heliaki is a Tongan poetic device where the composer of poems or songs uses laumatanga or flower names to praise or to express in some way their connections to certain places or people. Queen Salote uses heliaki in her poems and songs to show her connections to the three lines of kings that have ruled over Tonga. She uses flower names as a heliaki in one of the lakalaka song she composes for the Tu'i Kanokupolu dynasty, (the current ruling dynasty in Tonga). Flower names used as heliaki for the Tu'i Kanokupolu dynasty include puataukanave (Cordia subcordata). The use of heliaki defines cultural identity as it can be seen as a cultural practice that is unique to the Tongan world-view.

In conclusion the examples given above are quite evident in proving how important language is to our understanding of the Tongan culture. The use of special language considerations for the different levels of social rankings in Tonga helps us understand why they are used; it is because of the emphasis that Tongan culture has on faka'apa'apa and also the use of heliaki and poetic place names and naming portrays the strong sense of identity people feel when the poetic place names or a hingoa mataapule with which they are familiar when it is mentioned in their presence. Furthermore, the uses of vocabulary in the Tongan language as shown above is not unique to Tonga, instead similar examples can be found in other cultures in the Pacific like the use of polite language when addressing the Matai (Chief) of Samoa or the Turaga (Chief) of Fiji.

References

Taumoefolau, M. (2010, March 1) Pacific Languages and World-view. Unpublished lecture notes, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Taumoefolau, M. (2010, March 8) Significance of Names and Naming in the Tongan World-view. Unpublished lecture notes, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Taumoefolau, Melenaite. 2004. 'Queen Salote's use of Heliaki'. In Elizabeth Wood Ellem (Ed). Songs and Poems of Queen Salote. Tonga: Vava'u Press Ltd