Knowra Tahitian language Tahitian language Tahitian is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken mainly in Tahiti and other parts of French Polynesia. It is closely related to other languages of the Society Islands and shares the region’s Austronesian heritage.
Polynesian languages : A branch of the Austronesian language family spoken across the Polynesian region of the Pacific. Tahitian belongs to this branch, alongside languages such as Māori and Hawaiian.
Proto-Polynesian language : The reconstructed ancestral language from which the Polynesian languages developed. Tahitian descends through later ancestral stages from this reconstructed language.
Tahitian language revitalization : Efforts to increase the transmission, learning, and public use of Tahitian. These efforts respond to the language’s reduced use in some domains and generations.
Māori language : An Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Its close relationship to Tahitian makes similarities and sound changes easy to compare.
Austronesian languages : A major language family spanning Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Madagascar, and much of the Pacific. The family places Tahitian within a broad history of maritime language dispersal.
Proto-Tahitic language : The reconstructed ancestor of Tahitic languages, including Tahitian and several neighboring languages. It represents a closer shared ancestor for Tahitian and its Society Islands relatives.
Reo Tahiti in education : The teaching and use of Tahitian in schools and educational programs in French Polynesia. Schooling is a key setting for building literacy and intergenerational fluency.
Hawaiian language : An Eastern Polynesian language indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian and Tahitian share ancestry but differ in pronunciation and historical development.
Tahitian phonology : The sound system of Tahitian, including its vowels, consonants, and syllable patterns. Its small consonant inventory and open syllables give Tahitian a distinctive sound.
Maʻohi languages : A group of Eastern Polynesian languages spoken in French Polynesia, including Tahitian, Marquesan, and Tuamotuan varieties. Tahitian is one member of this regional group.
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