DIALECT 



OF FAKAAFO AND VAITUPU. 



ORTHOGRAPHY. 



THE number of elementary sounds in this dialect is, in strict accuracy, but fifteen, 

 viz. : the five vowels, and ten consonants, k, I, m, n, p, s, t, v, y. The h, however, will 

 be occasionally employed instead of the s, where it was so pronounced by the natives of 

 Fakaafo, and in one or two instances the w will be employed instead of v. 



It is one peculiarity of this dialect that the k at the beginning of many words is often 

 dropped, apparently at the mere pleasure of the speaker. Thus the natives said indiffe- 

 rently ko or 'o, ki or 'i, kua or 'ua, &c. The first orthography would no doubt be the 

 correct one ; but it has seemed better, in all cases, to give the words exactly as they were 

 heard and written at the time. 



THE ARTICLE. 



Te, is the definite article in the singular number, as, ua lelei te tama, good is the man. 

 Se (or he) was used before nouns, but whether as an indefinite article or as a particle 

 of affirmation is doubtful : se mata, an eye, or it is an eye ; se ulu, hair, or it is hair. 



THE SUBSTANTIVE. 



The plural of nouns is determined either by the context or by particles prefixed. 

 Those which were heard were ni, kau, and tai, as, ni ao, clouds ; e se ai ni ufi, there 

 are no yams ; kau pu, shells ; e kiu te tai fale, the houses are many. 



The cases are generally determined by particles and prepositions. Ko (or 'o) is the 

 sign of the nominative, as, e atua tafito o Tepolo, Tepolo is an ancient god. It is used 

 before pronouns, as ko au, I ; ko ai, who ? and in answer to a question, as, who is it? 

 Ans. Ko te Taufaiyd, it is Taufaiyd ; ko Taupe, it is Taupe ; what is it ? Ans. Ko te 

 la, the sun. It is not, however, always employed, as, e sa te papa nei, this rock is 

 sacred. 



