DATA AND NOTES. 



271 



The stems are faka and fa . Rotuma fak is the only vestige of the transi- 

 tion form. 



To show the devolution I have rearranged the forms in two lists. We 

 need comment on but few facts. The forms in o seem to have developed 

 sporadically and, of course, independently in Hawaii at the extreme north- 

 ern limit of the Tongafiti swarm and in Moriori at the extreme south and 

 apparently earlier than the Tongafiti movement. Not a vestige of the o 

 has been retained along the migration tracks. In Savo au and New Britain 

 wara we find apparently irreducible forms, possibly heterogenetic. 



215- 



bia, bisa, fia, fisa, how many. 

 In the same sense — 



Tonga, Niue: fiha. Samoa, Futuna, Uvea, Nukuoro, Aniwa, 



Nuguria, Sikayana: fia. Maori, Moiki, Tahiti, Marquesas, 

 Mangareva, Rapanui, Paumotu: hia. Mangaia: ia (eia). 



Viti: vitha. 



Mota, Maewo: visa. Sesake: pisa. Vaturanga: ngisa. Pala: 

 hise. Wango: siha. Arag, Ambrym: viha. Nggao: ngiha. 

 Baravon: aivia. Moanus: tje, id tjt. 



Malay: hia, what. 



The Proto-Samoan stem is fiha. 



Dr. Macdonald disposes of the matter with the declaration "the final 

 part of bia and blsa, namely a or sa, is the interrogative pronoun." Refer- 

 ence to these several words in their proper places in the dictionary confirms 

 his statement — so far as relates to Efate. He offers no explanation for the 

 former element of such a composite, and I have none to suggest. But: 



It is tantalizingly close, yet with such instances as Vaturanga and Nggao 

 we are debarred from accepting the explanation until we know enough of 

 the /i-element to enable us to account for the word as a whole. 



216. 



matua, to be old, mature, large, great, wise. 



Maori, Manahiki, Tongarewa: matua, parent. Rarotonga, Buka- 

 buka: metua, id. Samoa: matua, parent, mature, elder. 



Tonga: matua, parents, old people; motua, old, mature, ripe. 

 Futuna: matua, old, parents, mature, ripe. Niue: matua, 



parent; motua, old. Uvea: matua, parents, old, mature. 



Rapanui: matua tamaroa, father; matua tamaahine, mother. 

 Tahiti : -matua, old ; mitua, metia, parent. Marquesas: motua, 

 father. Mangareva: motua, father; -matua, old. Nuguria, 



