546 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



LANGUAGE — VOCABULARY. 



The natives reckoned their time, and in fact do so still by moons or 

 months, commencing the year with August, which was, according to 

 the traditions, the time when Hotu-Matua and his followers lauded upon 

 the island. 



The following corresponds nearly to the English months set oppo- 

 site: 



Anekeua August. 



Kora-iti (little summer) September. 



Hora-nui (big summer) October. 



Tangarouri part of November. 



Kotuti November and December. 



Ruti December aud January. 



Koro January. 



Tuaharo February. 



Tetunpu ...March. 



Tarabao April. 



Vaitu-nui (big winter) May. 



Vaitu-poto (short winter) June. 



Maro or Temaro July. 



The natives have recently divided the months into weeks, giving to 

 the days the names of First day (Raa-potahi), Second day (Kaa-po-rua), 

 Third day (Raa-po-toru), etc. The week is commenced on Mouday in 

 order to bring the seventh day on Sunday. 



The mouth is divided into two equal portions, the first beginning 

 with the new moon, and the second with the full moon. The calendar 

 at the time of our visit to the islaud ran about as follows, the new 



moon being full on November 26: 



Kokore tahi (first Kokore).. November 27 

 Kokore rua (second Kokore) . November 28 

 Kokore toru (third Kokore) .November 29 

 Kokore ha (fourth Kokore) . . November 30 

 Kokore rima (fifth Kokore) -December 1 

 Kokore bno (sixth Kokore). .December 2 



Makaru, first quarter December 3 



Ohua December 4 



Otua December 5 



Ohotu December 6 



Maure December 7 



Ina-ira December 8 



Ra Kau December 9 



Omotohi, full moon December 10 



Kokore tahi (first Kokore^ ..December 11 

 Kokore rua (second Kokore). December 12 



Kokore toru (third Kokore) .December 13 

 Kokore ha (fourth Kokore) .December 14 

 Kokore rima (fifth Kokore) . . December 15 



Tapuine December 16 



Matua December 17 



Orongo, last quarter December 18 



Orougo taaue December 19 



Mauri nui December 20 



Marui Kero December 21 



Omutu .December 22 



Tueo December 23 



Oata December 24 



Oari, new moon December 25 



Kokore tahi (first Kokore) ..December 26 

 Etc., etc., etc. 



The natives of Easter Island speak a dialect of the Malayo-Polynesian 

 language, which is so widely spread in the South Sea and Malay Archi- 

 pelago. Any one who will take the trouble to compare the accompany- 

 ing vocabulary with the same words used by the natives of New Zea- 

 land, Tahiti, Rorotonga, Samoa, and any of the islands of Polynesia, will 

 see that mauy of the words are identically the same, and others show a 

 slight variation. 



Not only do the words of this language resemble those spoken 

 throughout the South Sea, but all the dialects possess, in common, the 



