NCEA Level 3 Lea Faka-Tonga flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Register in Tongan

The choice among fakaʻeiki (respectful), neutral, and casual speech levels, determined by the listener's rank, age, and relationship to the speaker rather than by the topic discussed.

Fakaʻeiki vocabulary

Respectful word set used to and about higher-status people, including address terms such as ʻeiki, tamai, and faʻē, and respectful verb forms that replace everyday equivalents.

Purpose of a text

The intended effect on the reader: to persuade, inform, narrate, or instruct. Purpose determines whether imperatives, statistics, or past-tense markers dominate the writing.

Audience analysis

Identifying the reader's rank, age, and relationship to the writer before drafting. Audience is fixed first because it selects the register, which then constrains vocabulary and sentence length.

Formal letter opening

Tongan formal correspondence typically opens with Mālō e lelei or Fakamālō atu and closes with a blessing formula such as ʻOfa ke…; casual messages may omit both greetings.

Reported speech with pehē

Direct quotation introduced by pehē (said). The register of the original utterance is preserved inside the quotation and is not shifted to match the reporter's own speech level.

Indirect request strategy

When addressing elders, requests are softened rather than issued as bare imperatives; the speaker uses respectful forms and framing to avoid direct imposition on a higher-status listener.

Tongan word order

Predicate-initial, typically verb–subject–object. In Naʻe kai ʻe Sione e mei, the verb comes first, then the agent subject, then the object.

Tense markers

Particles placed before the verb: naʻe marks past, ʻoku marks present, ʻe marks future, kuo marks perfect aspect, and ke marks subjunctive or purpose.

Ergative ʻe

The preposition that marks the agent of a transitive verb, while the unmarked absolutive phrase marks the object. Swapping these two roles reverses who acts and who is acted upon.

ʻA-class possession

Alienable, active, or acquired possession, used for things a person controls or has gained, such as ʻeku tohi (my book). It contrasts with ʻo-class inalienable possession.

ʻO-class possession

Inalienable, passive, or inherited possession, covering kin, body parts, and inherited goods. The class reflects the relationship, not merely legal ownership of the item.

Inclusive versus exclusive pronouns

Tongan distinguishes whether the listener is included: tāua means we two including you, while māua means we two excluding you. The same contrast extends to plural forms.

Definite and indefinite articles

E marks a common definite noun, he marks indefinite or locative reference, and ʻa precedes personal names. Combined with prepositions they form ki he (to the) and ʻi he (in the).

Negation particles

ʻIkai negates predicates generally, ʻoua negates imperatives as in ʻoua ʻe ʻalu (don't go), and teʻeki marks an action that has not yet happened.

Reduplication functions

Repeating part or all of a root signals plurality, intensity, or diminution, as in lahi to lalahi. The specific function must be inferred from context, not from form alone.

Locative prepositions

ʻI he marks position in or at a place, while ki he marks direction toward it. Choosing between them depends on whether the clause describes location or motion.

Evidence-first reading strategy

For unseen-text questions, locate the sentence containing the answer before drafting. Paraphrase that evidence with explanation; verbatim quotation without explanation earns only partial credit.

Inference answer structure

A complete inference answer states the claim, cites the textual evidence supporting it, and explains how that evidence leads to the claim. All three parts are required.

Summary method

State the main idea in one sentence, then group supporting details under it. Examples, repetition, and illustrative anecdotes are omitted because they do not carry the central meaning.

Tongan narrative structure

A tala typically moves from setting (fonua and kāinga) through complication (fepaki) to resolution (fakalelei). Theme is analysed after these stages are identified.

Persuasive paragraph formula

A developed argument combines ko e ʻuhinga (reason), fakatātā (example), and fakamatala (explanation). A claim missing any of the three is treated as underdeveloped.

Connectives for variety

Words such as kae (but), he (because), and koia (therefore) link ideas and reduce reliance on pea (and then). Varied connectives raise the vocabulary-range judgement in writing.

Editing checklist

Before submission, verify tense-marker agreement, placement of ergative ʻe, possessive class, and accuracy of macrons and ʻokina, since these errors are penalised in formal writing.

Fakaʻapaʻapa

Respect as a core Tongan value, expressed through language register, gesture, seating order, and deference to elders and titled people. Texts are frequently analysed through this value.

Fetokoniʻaki

Mutual help and reciprocity among kin and community, visible in shared labour, church work, and contributions to family events. It underpins obligations within the kāinga.

Kāinga obligations

The extended kin group creates binding duties to contribute labour, goods, and money at weddings, funerals, and church events, and to host visiting relatives.

Koloa and ngāue

Koloa is traditional wealth, especially women's woven goods such as ngatu and mats; ngāue is work and commodity wealth, associated with men's labour. Ceremonial exchange links the two.

Remittances and migration

Money sent home by diaspora Tongans sustains households and churches. Evaluation should weigh economic benefit against dependency, labour loss, and pressure on those who remain.

Language shift pressure

English dominance in schooling, media, and employment reduces everyday Tongan use among youth. Code-switching can be read as adaptation or as a marker of gradual language loss.

Lotu and anga faka-Tonga

Church and custom are usually presented as complementary, yet tensions appear over dress standards, traditional dance, and Sunday observance, which texts often explore as value conflict.

Communal land tenure

Land is held through communal and estate structures and is rarely sold outright, shaping inheritance, migration decisions, and household economic strategy across generations.