New Zealand Scholarship Samoan flashcards

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

Fa'a Samoa

The Samoan way of life: the integrated system of values, protocols, and social organisation governing relationships, including fa'aaloalo, tautua, and the va tapuia between people.

Va tapuia

The sacred relational space between people that must be maintained with respect; in analysis it explains obligations and the consequences of breaching relational boundaries.

Fa'aaloalo

Respect shown through language, gesture, seating, and service; it is a core analytic concept in Samoan texts, not merely politeness, and shapes how characters and speakers are positioned.

Tautua

Service, especially to family, church, and village; in literature and oratory it often signals duty, sacrifice, and the tension between individual ambition and communal obligation.

'Upu fa'aaloalo

Respectful or honorific vocabulary used for chiefs, orators, elders, and sacred contexts; using it incorrectly or omitting it in formal contexts is a significant register error.

Faalupega

The formal honorific recitation naming a village, its districts, and titled families; it locates a speaker within the social order and is central to formal oratory.

Tulafale

A titled orator who speaks on behalf of a chief or village, skilled in formal rhetoric; analysis of tulafale speech focuses on indirectness, proverb, and the management of consensus.

Muagagana

A proverbial saying or idiom carrying inherited wisdom; in textual analysis, its effect depends on how it is deployed, echoed, or subverted within the surrounding speech or narrative.

Fa'atusa

A simile or comparison in Samoan rhetoric; identifying the tenor and vehicle and explaining the cultural associations invoked is the basis of a strong stylistic analysis.

Fa'amamafa

The macron marking vowel length in written Samoan; length distinguishes meaning, so omitting or misplacing macrons changes words and is penalised in written accuracy.

Koma liliu

The glottal stop written as an apostrophe in Samoan; it is a consonant and its omission alters pronunciation and meaning, affecting accuracy and formality of register.

Gagana Samoa

The Samoan language, a Polynesian language of the Austronesian family; its register system and oratorical tradition are the object of study in this subject.

Fono

A formal assembly or council, often of chiefs; in texts it functions as a setting where status, speaking rights, and consensus are negotiated through language.

Matai

A titled head of an extended family holding a chiefly or orator title; matai roles structure authority, land rights, and obligations depicted in Samoan texts.

Aiga

The extended family, the basic social and economic unit; in analysis it frames obligations, decision-making, and conflicts between collective and individual interests.

Nu'u

A village community; it is a political and moral unit in Samoan writing, associated with collective responsibility, protocol, and the authority of the fono.

Fa'asinomaga

Identity, understood as rooted in genealogy, land, language, and title; it is a frequent theme in diaspora writing and a lens for analysing belonging.

Measina

Cultural treasures or heirlooms, including language, oratory, and fine mats; the term supports arguments about heritage, loss, and intergenerational transmission.

Ie toga

A fine woven mat exchanged at significant ceremonies; in analysis it signifies value, kinship, and reciprocity, and its exchange marks status and relationship.

Fa'alavelave

A significant family event or obligation, such as a wedding, funeral, or title bestowal; in texts it dramatises duty, financial pressure, and communal identity.

Ifoga

A formal act of apology involving ritual humility and the seeking of forgiveness; analysis focuses on its role in restoring va and resolving conflict.

Lauga

A formal speech or oration, typically by a tulafale; its structure, honorific address, and proverb use are key objects of rhetorical analysis.

Tala

A story or narrative; in literary analysis, considering whose tala is told and whose is silenced is a reliable route to critical interpretation.

Solo

A poem in Samoan; analysis attends to rhythm, repetition, imagery, and how poetic form conveys emotion or cultural memory.

Pese

A song, often communal; its lyrics and performance context can be analysed for collective memory, lament, or celebration, linking text and social practice.

Fagogo

Traditional storytelling performed in the evening, often with song; it is a genre of oral literature whose performance features matter in analysis.

Tala tu'u

A traditional legend or inherited tale; it preserves cosmology and genealogy, and analysis should address its function in transmitting values across generations.

Fa'alogo

Listening as an active, respectful practice in Samoan communication; it supports arguments about silence, turn-taking, and the ethics of speaking.

Fa'amatalaga

Explanation or interpretation; in exam responses the term signals the move from identifying a feature to explaining its function and effect.

Fa'atatau

Relevance or appropriateness, including fitting language to context; it is a useful criterion for judging whether register choices suit the audience and occasion.

Fa'ailoga tagata

Discrimination or differential treatment; it appears in critical discussion of status, gender, and access to speaking roles within fa'a Samoa contexts.

Fa'atupu manatu

The development or shaping of ideas; in textual analysis it describes how a text guides the reader's thinking through selection and arrangement of detail.