Chapter 1: Pronunciation Practice

Question 1

What are the five Tahitian vowels?

Answer 1

a e i o u

Question 2

parau

Answer 2

to speak

Question 3

matau

Answer 3

hook

Question 4

marō

Answer 4

dry

Question 5

nana

Answer 5

herd

Question 6

mati

Answer 6

match

Question 7

fefe

Answer 7

twisted

Question 8

pepe

Answer 8

butterfly

Question 9

‘i

Answer 9

by, at

Question 10

‘api

Answer 10

page

Question 11

poro

Answer 11

corner

Question 12

pupu

Answer 12

group

Question 13

tutu

Answer 13

kind of tree

Question 14

‘ua

Answer 14

past tense marker

Question 15

pārau

Answer 15

pearl

Question 16

mātau

Answer 16

to know

Question 17

māro

Answer 17

to be stubborn

Question 18

nāna

Answer 18

for him

Question 19

māti

Answer 19

March

Question 20

fēfē

Answer 20

a boil

Question 21

pēpē

Answer 21

to wound

Question 22

‘ī

Answer 22

full

Question 23

‘apī

Answer 23

new

Question 24

pōro

Answer 24

a marble

Question 25

marō

Answer 25

dry

Question 26

maro

Answer 26

royal belt

Question 27

pūpū

Answer 27

sea-shell

Question 28

tūtu

Answer 28

a cook

Question 29

ūa

Answer 29

rain

Question 30

What are the eight Tahitian consonants?

Answer 30

f h m n p r t v

Question 31

What is a glottal stop?

Answer 31

It consists of blocking the air-stream with the glottis. It is similar to the sound heard, for example, in the cockney pronunciation of the word “butter”, where the “tt” is not sounded, but replaced by a glottal stop, thus “bu’er”.

Question 32

What are the four pronunciations of the initial vowel in Tahitian?

Answer 32

(i) The vowel may be short and preceded by a glottal stop, as in: ’oe you ’umara sweet potato ’uri dog ’amu eat
(ii) The vowel may be long and preceded by a glottal stop, as in: ’au to swim ’/a to steal
(iii) The vowel may be short, not preceded by a glottal stop, as in: au I, me atua God
(iv) The vowel may be long, not preceded by a glottal stop, as in: ao world, day ciu nice, good.

Question 33

What is a syllable in Tahitian?

Answer 33

The syllable in Tahitian consists of + C + N, where C equals a consonant or glottal stop, and N equals either a short vowel, a long vowel (i.e. two identical vowels), or a sequence of two different vowels. + indicates that the consonant is optional, while + indicates that the vowel or sequence is obligatory in the syllable.

Question 34

What is the first stress rule?

Answer 34

(i) In words containing either a sequence of different vowels or a long vowel, the stress falls on the first vowel of the sequence, or on the long vowel.

Examples: tiare flower raiti rice tia ’a shoe pahi ship tamarii boy tamahine daughter

Question 35

What is the second stress rule?

Answer 35

(ii) With words containing two such sequences (i.e. sequences of different or same vowels, that is, long vowels), then the stress falls on the first of the sequences in the word.

Examples: feia group

tamaroa boy

faraoa bread

Question 36

What is the third stress rule?

Answer 36

(iii) With words not containing long vowels or sequences of vowels, the stress falls on the penultimate syllable. Examples: fare house; tima’o shark; ta’ata person; ’ohipa work

Question 37

What is the fourth stress rule?

Answer 37

(iv) With compound words, usually polysyllabic, each part of the compound takes its own stress. Examples: pua’a-niho goat; pua’a-horo-fenua horse

Question 38

pua’a

Answer 38

pig

Question 39

ueue

Answer 39

to shake

Question 40

nui

Answer 40

big, immense

Question 41

‘uo’ou

Answer 41

clean

Question 42

‘apo’o

Answer 42

hole

Question 43

ī’oa

Answer 43

name

Question 44

ha’ari

Answer 44

coconut