Talofa
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Talofa is a
salutation A salutation is a greeting used in a Letter (message), letter or other communication. Salutations can be formal or informal. The most common form of salutation in an English letter includes the recipient's given name or title. For each style of ...
or
greeting Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between individ ...
in the
Samoan language Samoan ( or , ) is a Polynesian languages, Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the Unincorporated territories of the United States, Unit ...
of the
Samoan Islands The Samoan Islands () are an archipelago covering in the central Pacific Ocean, South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Political geography, Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Samoa, Indep ...
.{{cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ptk9xUamLeUC&q=ali%27i&pg=PA209, title=Linguistic anthropology, first=Alessandro, last=Duranti, publisher=John Wiley and Sons, year=2009, page=217, isbn=978-1-4051-2632-8, accessdate=8 July 2010 ''Talofa'' echoes in such phrases as ''ta'alofa'' in
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
, ''
aloha ''Aloha'' ( , Hawaiian: ™ËˆlohÉ™ is the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a greeting. It has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is use ...
'' in Hawaiian and '' aro'a'' in
Cook Islands MÄori Cook Islands MÄori is an Eastern Polynesian language that is the official language of the Cook Islands. Cook Islands MÄori is closely related to, but distinct from, New Zealand MÄori. Cook Islands MÄori is called just MÄori when there i ...
. Another Samoan salutation ''To life, live long!'' properly translated ''Ia ola!'' also echoes in places such as
Aotearoa ''Aotearoa'' () is the MÄori name for New Zealand. The name was originally used by MÄori in reference only to the North Island, with the whole country being referred to as ''Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu'' – where ''Te Ika-a-MÄui'' means N ...
(
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
), where the formal greeting in
MÄori MÄori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the MÄori people * MÄori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * MÄori language, the language of the MÄori people of New Zealand * MÄori culture * Cook Islanders, the MÄori people of the Co ...
is Kia ora and in
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...
(
French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...
) where it is 'Ia orana. ''Talofa'' is also the greeting of the island of
Lifou Lifou () is a communes of France, commune of France in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean. Geography Lifou is made up of Lifou Island, the largest and most heavily populated of the Loyalty Islands, its smaller neighbou ...
(
New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
), and of the island state of
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
. The word was brought to
Lifou Lifou () is a communes of France, commune of France in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean. Geography Lifou is made up of Lifou Island, the largest and most heavily populated of the Loyalty Islands, its smaller neighbou ...
by the Samoan teachers of the
London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed tradition, Reformed in outlook, with ...
who converted the population from 1841.


Etymology

The Official Government Website of American Samoa says: "Talofa is short for 'Si o ta alofa atu,' – which means, 'I am happy and delighted to give you my love.' When you respond, 'Talofa lava!' you are reciprocating with a full grant of your love and affection."American Samoa Official Web Site
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References

Culture of Samoa Samoan words and phrases Greeting words and phrases