Vaiaso o te Gana Tuvalu - Tuvalu Language Week 2020
Fale Tusi i Aukilani e fakamanatu te Vaiaso o te Gana Tuvalu / Auckland Libraries celebrates Tuvalu Language Week
Talofa! Join us in celebrating Tuvalu Language Week from 27 Setema (September) to 3 Oketopa (October). This year's theme is Fakatili Te Kiloga Fou - Navigating the changing environment.
Did you know?
- Tuvalu means 'eight islands together'.
- Tuvalu was once known as the Ellice Islands, and in 1978, Tuvalu declared independence from Great Britain.
- The capital is Funafuti Atoll; most government offices are located in the village of Vaiaku, Fongafale islet, a constituent part of Funafuti Atoll.
- The group includes both atolls and reef islands. The atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have islets encircling a shallow lagoon; the reef islands - Nanumanga, Niutao, Vaitupu, and Niulakita - are compact with a fringing reef.
- Tuvaluans are Polynesian, and their language, Tuvaluan, is closely related to Samoan. Nui, however, was heavily settled in prehistoric times by Micronesians from the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati). English is taught in the schools and widely used.
- Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country’s underground water table. The highest point of elevated land in Tuvalu is between 4-5 metres, which provides the basis to their concerns regarding the effects of climate change and the threat of sea level rise.
Te Gana Tuvalu
Some simple words and phrases you might like to try during Vaiaso o te Gana Tuvalu / Tuvalu Language Week. Have fun!
| Tuvalu | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Fakatalofa | Hello | Fah-car-tah-law-fah ah-two |
| Tofa la | Goodbye | Tall-far ear |
| Fakamolemole | Please | Fah-car-maw-leh-maw-leh |
| Fakafetai lasi | Thank you | Fah-keh-feh-tay la-see |
| Ea mai koe? | How are you? | Eh-ah may caw-eh |
| Au e lei fakafetai | I am fine, thank you. | Owe eh lay fah-car-feh-tay |
| Koe e fano ki fea | Where are you going? | Call-eh eh far-naw key fair-ah |
| Tusi | Book or write | Two-see |
| Tauloto | Learn | Toe-law-tall |
| Au e fano ki fea | I am going to school. | Owe eh far-naw key teh ah-car-nga |
Tuvalu titles and resources
For kids
- Samoa & Tuvalu by Melanie Guile
- Fun on the Runway: A story from the islands of Tuvalu by Jill Macgregor
- Check out our Book Bites to listen to a review of Fun on the Runway by twelve-year-old Ielemia from Rānui.
Climate change and Tuvalu
- The Rising Tide: The tiny Pacific nations at the forefront of global change by Tom Bamforth
- A Floating World: Images of the Tuvalu environment by Peter McQuarrie
- Time & tide: the islands of Tuvalu by Tony Wheeler and Peter Bennetts
- Paradise drowned: Tuvalu, the disappearing nation (DVD)
Tuvalu history
- Tuvalu: history, culture, tradition, travel and tourism by Jay Murphy
- Explore Tuvaluan items on Kura Heritage Collections Online
- Read a brief history of Tuvalu on Radio New Zealand's website.
Tuvalu music
- Tuvalu: a Polynesian atoll society (CD)
Sung in the Tuvalu language. Recorded by Ad and Lucia Linkels during a fieldwork trip to Tuvalu between July and October 1990
Tuvalu arts and crafts
Kolose: Tuvalu crochet
When attending a Tuvaluan event, women can often be found working together on their kolose or crochet, reflecting the cultural environment where Pacific people grow up in, with no separation between art, culture and life.
Kolose is one of the key art forms practised by Tuvalu women in Aotearoa New Zealand, as it is back in their homeland. Kolose is an important aspect of Tuvalu culture and is often worn when attending church, dances and often given as a gift during special occasions.
Fou: Flower garlands
Tuvalu festivities wouldn’t be complete without everyone adorned with flower garlands upon their heads and the manogi (perfume) of fresh cut flowers filling the air.
"The garlands of flowers and leaves worn on the head, are extremely popular with girls and youths, women and men and the older folk as well. Girls, and many women as well, plait them for everyday use as well as for festivities. They wear the garlands themselves or give them away and a young man will also ask a girl whom he admires for the favour of receiving such a garland." The material culture of Tuvalu by Gerd Koch
Fakefetai lasi!
Thank you for joining us for Vaiaso o te Gana Tuvalu / Tuvalu Language Week at Auckland Libraries.
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