Tāngatāiki (ˈtaŋataːiki)

"If you are going to trade in Tauranga, it is worth learning Tāngatāiki, even though the merchants there speak Common - you'll get a lot more respect. - common advice for merchants in the Southern Region

Tāngatāiki is the language of the Tāngata people who live on Atu Motu and several other islands in the Southern Region. It is inspired by Māori.

Dialects

There are several dialects of Tāngatāiki. The most prominent are Tāngaruru, Motumotu, and Kārearea. Tāngaruru is spoken in the northern part of Atu Motu and in the port city of Tauranga, and is the dialect most often spoken by outsiders. Motumotu is mostly spoken by communities on the island of Motu, while Kārearea is common in the southern portion of Atu Motu. These dialects are all mutually intelligible. The Tāngaruru dialect is the most divergent from the others, and includes many foreign loan-words, as well as shedding many of the traditional structures associated with Tulafafo. This can lead to problems when foreigners who only know the northern dialect attempt to communicate with southern Tāngata, as they are ignorant of the courtesies expected in those communties.

Interesting Features

Tāngatāiki is known for its poetic metaphors and versatile vocabulary. There are frequently many ways express any particular idea, giving Tāngata poets a lot of range in their compositions. There are also entire categories of the language which deal with Tulafafo, and the use of these structures can convey a lot of context to the informed listener.

Related Langauges

Tāngatāiki is distantly related to Koanui, the language of the Kaikai people. The relationship is not close enough for mutual understanding, but it does share a number of root words and grammatical constructs.

Naming Traditions

The Tāngata name their children at birth, typically choosing a name that commemorates a significant event that occurred around the same time as they were born. This name may change several times during an individual's life, as they choose new names based on important events that happen to them. Examples include moving to a new village, the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, or a major achievment or failure. Sometimes, a person will take on the name of a deceased person, to represent how they will carry on their legacy after their death. They do not typically use lineal surnames; although they may identify their affiliation with a particular hapū when introducing themselves, this is not considered a part of their name.

Writing System

Tāngatāiki does not have a native system of writing. While they use patterns and images to represent ideas (most often used in the facial tattoos of the Tāngata), they borrow writing systems from the other cultures they interact with. Most often, they use the Nagari script, although this can vary greatly from one community to another.

Geographical Distribution

Tāngatāiki is spoken on many islands in the Southern Region, and is the most common language on Atu Motu. Communities that speak Tāngatāiki are common on Motu, Kautea, Matamata, and Tangi.

Spoken by

• Tāngata

Common Phrases

• Kia ora - Hello
• Haere rā - Goodbye
• Mihi - Thank you
• Kaore e raru - You're welcome
• Āwhina - Help
• Tēnā koa - Please
• Kei te pēhea koe? - How are you?
• Āe - Yes
• Kāo - No
• Tukuna - Excuse me

Common Female Names

• Hine
• Mereana
• Aroha
• Rangimarie
• Tia
• Hana
• Anahera
• Kaiwhare
• Tangiwai
• Waimarie

Common Male Names

• Manaia
• Tane
• Maui
• Rongo
• Tama
• Ariki
• Whakatau
• Rua
• Marama
• Tangaroa

Common Unisex Names

• Hemi
• Kai
• Wairua
• Rangi
• Aroha
• Tama
• Maru
• Kiri
• Piri
• Tia