Gilford— Tongan Place Names 35 



Tract on Niuatoputapu island (NT) — Tangipa, landlord. 



Aleakula. Conversation about the kula bird [alea, conversation; kula, a small 

 bird with red feathers, apparently not a Tongan species]. Tract near Koloa, 

 village on Koloa island (V). 



Alefa. Hunger. Tract near Faleloa, village on Foa (H). Also tract near Faka- 

 kakai, village on Haano island (H). 



Aleipata. Pull hard for the gravelly beach [alei, (?); pata, rough sand]. Beach 

 on Haano island (H). Only the stem pata seems to occur in modern Tongan. 

 It means rough sand or gravel. In Samoan pata means coarse, in reference 

 to sand. In Samoan alei means to drive, to chase. It is used as an entreaty 

 to persons pulling in a boat against the wind to make haste: Push the boat, 

 drive her, fight the wind. Hence the whole name may mean "pull hard for 

 the gravelly beach." Tongan mythology attributes to the name a Samoan 

 origin. The beach is reputed to be the place where the bonito, brought from 

 Samoa, first appeared in Tonga. The name was given to commemorate the 

 putative Samoan origin of the fish. The meaning of Aleipata also reflects an 

 incident in the story of the coming of the bonito, in which a human hero urges 

 a nearly exhausted Fijian attendant to continue his efforts to swim to the 

 shore. 



Aleipata. Tract near Kapa, village on Kapa island (V). Also tract near Tuane- 

 kivale, village on Vavau island (V). 



Alele. Enclosure of sugar cane [a, enclosure; lele, a kind of sugar canej. Tract 

 near Tatakamotonga, village on Tongatabu island (T) — Tungi, landlord. Also 

 tract near Haano, village on Haano island (H) — Tui Haangana, landlord. Also 

 tract near Vakataumai, village on Kapa island (V). Also tract near Neiafu, 

 village on Vavau island (V). Also district on Niuafoou island (NF). 



Alepea. Arabia. Tract near Ohonua, village on Eua island (T). Also tract in 

 Nukualofa, village on Tongatabu island (T). Site of the stone government office 

 building. Also tract in Kolonga, village on Tongatabu island (T). Also 

 tract near Pukotala, village on Haano island (H) — Tui Haangana, landlord. 



Aleva. To be awake at once [a, to be awake; leva, at once]. Tract near Ma- 

 kave, village on Vavau island (V) — Tui Afitu, landlord. 



Allnonga. Peaceful baldness [all, baldness; nonga, peaceful]. Island (V). 



Alio. To carry ali fish [all, a transparent fish of the genus Rhomboidichthys, o, 

 to carry]. Tract in Nukualofa, village on Tongatabu island (T). 



Alo. Height. Name of summit of Mt. Talau on Vavau island (V). 



Alofaki. To sit in a row. Tract in Nukualofa, village on Tongatabu island (T). 



Alofi. Kava ring. Tract near Vaotuu, village near Tongatabu island (T) — Tui 

 Vakano, landlord. Also tract near Uiha, village on Uiha island (H) — Malupo, 

 landlord. Also tract near Neiafu, village on Vavau island (V). 



Alofia. To overtake. Tract on Niuatoputapu island (NT) — Tangipa, landlord. 



Alofitai. Circular kava ring [alofi, kava ring; tai, circular]. Tract near Ohonua, 

 village on Eua island (T). 



Alofitaoa. Kava ring surrounded by spears [alofi, kava ring; tao, spear; a, to 

 surround]. Tract near Fotua, village on Foa island (H) — Tui Pelehake, land- 

 lord. 



Aloloa. Long fence [a, fence; loloa, long]. Tract on Tungua island (H) — Tui 

 Haateiho, landlord. 



Alomaloaa. Fine height (the grave mound) of indolence [alo, height; malo, fine; 

 aa, indolence]. Cemetery on Tongatabu island (T). Perhaps a euphemism 

 for the graveyard. Cemetery of the family of the chief Lomu. 



Alomanukia. Reviled child of rank [alo, child of rank; manukia, to revile]. Tract 

 near Angaha, village on Niuafoou island (NF). 



Aloofa. Compassion, mercy. Tract on Haafeva island (H) — Tuuhetoka, landlord. 



