Tongan L6: Example 3
Example 3: Email to a friend
Tokoua Taniela
Mau tau lelei mai ki he fu ‘u fonua faka ‘ofo ‘ofa´ ni. Toka lelei e hala´. Ma ‘a moe fonua´! ‘Ohovale he sio ki he maama hala´. Mau pehē pē, ke ‘a Tonga mai ‘a e ngaahi fakalakalaka´ ni.
‘Oku mo ‘ui lelei pe ‘a e tamaiki. ‘Oku momoko ‘a e fonua´ ni. Ka ko e sai´ he ‘oku mafana ‘a e motele ‘oku mau nofo ai. Tōtōatu e ngaahi fu ‘u loki´ ia moe saoa vai mafana´. Ke mou kai mai homau talitali´. Lahi ‘a e ‘ofa mai ‘a e kāinga, siasi´ mo e kolisi tutuku´.
‘Oku mau ako va ‘inga he mala ‘e ‘akapulu ‘a Onehunga. Na ‘a mau va ‘inga mo e timi ‘a Onehunga pea malō pe ‘emau hao. Mau mālohi foki ‘uluaki tau mo e timi ‘a e Kolisi Tangaroa.
Te mau va ‘inga moe timi ‘a e Kolisi Uesili´ he Falaite´. Ko e timi ‘eni ‘oku tokolahi ai e tamaiki Tonga´. Mau tui ‘e fefeka ‘aupito e tali tangata´ koe ‘uhi´ he ‘oku tokolahi ai ‘a e kau pasifiki´. Ka ‘oku mau loto lahi ‘aupito, pea ‘oku mau ‘amanaki ki ha ikuna he ‘oku lahi ‘emau teuteu. ‘Oku mau manavasi ‘i foki ki he puke´, he ‘oku fepaki e ‘ea.
Te mau ako va ‘inga foki mo e faiako ‘a e kalapu ‘akapulu ‘a ‘Okalani´. Ko e teuteu ia ki he tau mo e timi ‘a e Kolisi ‘Alipate´. Ko kinautolu ‘oku lolotonga hau he ngaahi ‘apiako´ he taimi´ ni. Fakahoko atu homau ‘ofa pea mou lotu mai ma ‘ae timi´.
‘Ofa atu
Semisi
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Context and text type
Semisi, a native speaker of Tongan, is in Auckland participating in the under-18 rugby tournament. He is updating his cousin Taniela, a learner of Tongan living in Rotorua, about the team’s games and his impressions of Auckland.
Text type
Email, informal. Receptive.
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Observations a student might make concerning:
Information, ideas, and opinions communicated in the text
Semisi describes the team’s reception by friends and families in Auckland:
-
Ke mou kai mai homau talitali´. Lahi ‘a e ‘ofa mai ‘a e kāinga, siasi´ mo e kolisi
tutuku´.
Semisi uses adjectives and descriptive expressions to communicate his impressions; for example:
- ‘Oku momoko ‘a e fonua´ ni.
He reports the results of the games that his team has played:
- Mau mālohi foki ‘uluaki tau mo e timi ‘a e Kolisi Tangaroa.
He expresses his opinion about the team’s performance:
- Na ‘a mau va ‘inga mo e timi ‘a Onehunga pea malō pe ‘emau hao.
How the writer expresses personal ideas and opinions
Semisi expresses surprise at what he sees in New Zealand:
- ‘Ohovale he sio ki he maama hala´.
He makes a comparison between the two countries when he expresses a desire for Tonga to have some of the resources he sees in New Zealand:
- Mau pehē pē, ke ‘a Tonga mai ‘a e ngaahi fakalakalaka´ ni.
He reminds and requests Taniela to pray for the team:
- Fakahoko atu homau ‘ofa pea mou lotu mai ma ‘ae timi´.
The use of particular adjectives and adverbs reinforces Semisi’s opinion about the strength of the other team:
- Mau tui ‘e fefeka ‘aupito e tali tangata´ koe ‘uhi´ he ‘oku tokolahi ai ‘a e kau pasifiki´.
Semisi expresses his personal belief about the outcome of his team’s performance, giving reasons:
- Ka ‘oku mau loto lahi ‘aupito, pea ‘oku mau ‘amanaki ki ha ikuna he ‘oku lahi ‘emau teuteu.
He expresses his apprehension:
- ‘Oku mau manavasi ‘i foki ki he puke he ‘oku fepaki e ‘ea.
How the writer communicates appropriately in the situation
Semisi addresses Taniela as tokoua (brother). This everyday usage in lea faka-Tonga is equivalent to 'bro' in English. The shortened form 'toko' is also widely used.
Semisi uses his knowledge of rugby to connect with Taniela by commenting on the team’s performance and preparation; for example:
- Na ‘a mau va ‘inga mo e timi ‘a Onehunga pea malō pe ‘emau hao.
When describing something in the past, Semisi uses the particle na ‘a:
- Na ‘a mau va ‘inga mo e timi ‘a e ‘apiako pea malō pe ‘emau hao.
Semisi uses 'mala ‘e ‘akapulu' for rugby field. 'Mala‘e' has a historical meaning in lea faka-Tonga, but its use has been broadened to include modern contexts.
How the language in the text is organised for the writer’s purpose
Tongan people are constantly aware of 'fakatu ‘utu ‘unga' ('rank') as they interact with each other. Semisi uses lea tavale (informal, everyday language) to describe events:
- Tōtōatu e; ‘Ohovale he sio ki he maama hala´.
Like most written texts, Semisi’s email uses connectives such as pea, ka, and mo e.
As is appropriate for a text of this kind, Semisi ends his email with the informal, formulaic ‘Ofa atu.
Semisi uses the word mōtele, a transliteration of 'motel' that is now part of lea faka-Tonga vocabulary:
- ‘Oku momoko ‘a e fonua´ ni ka ‘oku māfana ‘a e mōtele ‘oku mau nofo ai ‘i Onehunga.
Semisi observes the following conventions of written lea-faka Tonga:
- He uses the definitive accent when he refers to going to a particular college on a particular day:
- Te mau va ‘inga mo e timi ‘a e Kolisi Uesili´ he Falaite´.
- He uses the stress mark before enclitics; for example:
- ‘Oku momoko ‘a e fonua´ ni.
- He uses macrons where appropriate:
- Tōtōatu e ngaahi fu ‘u loki´ ia mo e saoa vai mafana´.
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Use the team’s visit to New Zealand and Semisi’s comments and reflections as a stimulus for reflecting on and discussing the differences, surprises, and challenges that you experienced when, for example:
- on your first overseas trip
- emigrating to New Zealand
- encountering other languages/cultures in New Zealand.
How might you express your observations and feelings when talking or writing to other speakers of Tongan? What would you need to know about the language and culture to be able to communicate effectively?
Investigate the word 'mala‘e' and its use and meanings in historical and present-day contexts. Make comparisons and connections with similar words in other languages.
Last updated October 7, 2013
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