NCEA Level 3 Samoan flashcards

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

Koma liliu (glottal stop)

A consonant written as ʻ in Samoan that changes word meaning, as in mai (from) versus maʻi (sick). Omitting it in writing or speech is treated as a spelling and pronunciation error.

Faʻamamafa (macron)

A mark over a vowel showing it is long. Length is phonemic in Samoan: tama (father) and tamā (father, respectful) differ only by this mark, and listening tasks test the distinction.

Gagana faʻaaloalo register

The respectful register used in oratory and formal settings, with special vocabulary such as taumafa for food and ʻava for milk. Recognising it tells a listener that the speaker is addressing elders or a formal assembly.

Fai mai (reported speech cue)

The phrase meaning 'said' that introduces direct quotation in Samoan, as in 'Ua fai mai le tama...'. In listening texts it signals that the following words are someone's exact speech.

Penultimate stress rule

Samoan stress normally falls on the second-to-last syllable of a word, though a long final vowel attracts stress. The rule helps listeners predict syllable boundaries in rapid speech.

Samoan numerals 1-10

Tasi, lua, tolu, fā, lima, ono, fitu, valu, iva, sefulu. Tens use sefulu, hundreds selau, thousands afe. Ordinals add lona, as in lona lua for 'second'.

Lauga structure

The conventional Samoan formal speech: greeting and address, acknowledgement of hosts and elders, statement of the occasion, the body of the message, and a closing thanks. Assessment rewards following this order.

Lau susuga / lau tofa

Honorific address terms used in formal speaking: lau susuga for a reverend or respected person, lau tofa for a chief or orator. Using plain names instead lowers the register of a presentation.

Lāua versus lātou

Lāua is the respectful pronoun for two people; lātou is for three or more. Their informal counterparts are ʻoulua and ʻoutou. Choosing the wrong number or formality is a common oral error.

Tense markers in speech

O loʻo plus verb marks present progressive, na plus verb marks past, and o le a plus verb marks future. A speaker must keep these markers consistent with the time frame of the presentation.

Signposting phrases

Muamua (first), lona lua (secondly), e le gata i lea (not only that), i le faʻaiʻuga (in conclusion). These phrases structure a spoken presentation so that an assessor can follow the argument.

Clarification requests

Phrases such as faʻamolemole toe fai mai (please repeat) and ʻou te le iloa (I don't know). Using them appropriately in an interaction task is credited rather than penalised.

Samoan alphabet

Fourteen letters: five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and nine consonants (f, g, l, m, n, p, s, t, v). Letters h, k and r appear only in loanwords such as kiliki.

Predicate-initial word order

Samoan sentences normally begin with the predicate, giving verb-subject-object order in verbal sentences and O plus noun phrase in nominal ones. Identifying the predicate is the key to comprehension questions.

Articles le, se, ni

Le marks a single identified referent, se a single indefinite one, and ni several indefinite ones. Tracking articles shows whether a text refers to a known or a newly introduced thing.

A-possession versus O-possession

A-possession covers movable, acquired or active things (laʻu pene, my pen); O-possession covers inalienable, inherited or passive ones (loʻu tinā, my mother). The choice is a core reading cue.

Location prepositions

I luga o (on), i lalo o (under), i totonu o (inside), i tafatafa o (beside), i mua o (in front of), i tua o (behind), plus i (in, at, to) and mai (from).

Text types and their markers

A tala (story) uses past narrative markers sa and na; a tusi (letter) opens with an address and closes with faʻafetai; a news report is factual and uses reported speech. Recognising the type sets expectations.

Sign vocabulary

Common words on public signs: faʻasā (prohibited), avanoa (available or vacant), faleoloa (shop), fale tele (hall). Signs often omit verbs, so they read as noun phrases.

Tusi aloaʻia frame

The formal letter frame: an opening such as faʻatalofa atu, the recipient's address with honorific, the body, a closing with faʻafetai and faʻamolemole, and the writer's name. Omitting the frame costs structure marks.

UA versus SA

Ua marks perfect or present state; sa and na mark past events. A written piece must keep these aspect markers consistent, since mixing them without reason is a frequent accuracy error.

I le versus O le

I le marks location or time, as in i le fale (in the house) or i le taeao (in the morning). O le marks identity or equation, as in o le fale (it is the house).

Cohesion devices in writing

Ma (and), ʻae (but), auā or ona (because), o le mea lea (therefore), e ui i lea (however), mo se faʻataʻitaʻiga (for example). These connect sentences and are assessed under coherence.

Formal written register

Formal Samoan writing avoids contractions and colloquial fillers, uses full pronouns such as ʻo aʻu, and applies faʻaaloalo vocabulary when addressing elders or officials. Register mismatch is penalised in written tasks.

Punctuation and diacritics

Samoan uses the same punctuation marks as English, but macrons and glottal stops must appear in the final copy. A text without them is treated as misspelled rather than merely informal.

Plural article IA

Ia marks identified plurals in some contexts, alongside le plus noun plus ia. Choosing between le, se, ni and ia keeps noun phrases agreeing in number and specificity throughout a written text.

G versus N and K

The letter g in Samoan represents the sound [ŋ], as in gagana. Oral assessment rewards a clear distinction between g, n and k, which is one of the main pronunciation criteria.

Numbers in listening tasks

Sefula, selau and afe build tens, hundreds and thousands. Numerals, prices and times are frequent answer targets, so transcribe them during the first listening pass rather than relying on memory.

Reading gist before detail

The first reading or listening pass establishes topic, participants and setting; the second pass captures names, numbers and specific claims. This two-pass method matches how NCEA questions are sequenced.

Discourse markers

ʻAe (but), auā (because), ona (then, because), ina ua (when, now that), aemaise (especially), o lea (therefore). Following them reveals the direction of an argument in a spoken or written text.

Role-play response set

Ioe (yes), leai (no), ʻou te le iloa (I don't know), faʻamolemole toe fai mai (please repeat), tulou (excuse me). Having these ready supports interaction tasks without switching to English.

Written lauga

A formal speech in written form keeps the spoken architecture: title and honorific address, acknowledgement of hosts, argument with examples, and a closing faʻafetai, but uses fuller sentences than delivery notes.