286 



PHILOLOGY. 



Ua mai ! is the address to a person entering a house ; and when he takes leave, they say 

 "e alu oe?" do you go? The words expressing thankfulness, faafetai and faamanu, 

 are used on receiving any present, and usually accompanied by the motion of raising the 

 article to the head. A native will not do any act, or speak any word which might be 

 considered rude or unbecoming, without first saying, vaeane ! which may be rendered 

 " excuse me !" or " by your leave !" 



But it is in addressing their chiefs that the Samoans are particularly careful to mani- 

 fest their respect by their language. There are many terms in the common idiom, which 

 it is considered improper to employ in speaking to or of a person of rank, and their place 

 is supplied by other words of the same signification, which are never used but on such 

 occasions. Sometimes there are distinct words for the different grades of chiefs, and 

 those who are careful to speak the language correctly will never address a high chief with 

 the terms appropriated to those of lower rank. Thus the salutation to a common man, 

 on entering a house, is, as above stated, ua mai, you have come ; to a tula-fale, or house- 

 holder, it is ua alala mai ; 



to a low chief, ua maliu mai ; 



to a high chief, ua susu mai ; 



to the sovereign, ua afio mai. 



Afio, meaning to come or go (like ahi) is used also in speaking of a deity ; ua maliu, 

 gone, is used for all ranks to signify dead. In the speaking of the canoe of an inferior 

 chief, they would say ua silafia ea k vaa ? is the canoe in sight 1 of a high chief, it 

 would be, ua taular/ia ea le vaa 1 Tofa and td'a both mean to sleep, the latter of a high 

 chief, the former for one of low rank ; they are also used for a parting salutation in the 

 evening, tofa ina soifua, sleep, that you may live ! Tausami signifies to eat, applied 

 to a landholder, taumqfa to an inferior chief, and taute to a superior. It is probable 

 that the different words for sickness and dreaming in the following list, also appertain to 

 different ranks. 



arm 



to come, go 



son 



daughter 



belly 



head 



to bathe 



wife 



dream 



face, eye 



sick 



hair 



to dream ; vision 



in good health 



house 



to come, to go ; dead 



