In its Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language dated 1893, Pratt recorded 87 words related to coconut. Some of these words are related to coconut varieties:
2 :a’aa’a :the many-fibred coconut root
3 :‘afa :cord made of coconut fibre
4 :alava :the fibre of the stem and wood
5 :aleale :the young coconut with the kernel just formed
6 :amo :to separate the fibres from the husk by plucking
7 :aputi :the sheath of the young leaf
8 :‘ina :a coconut husk with long fibres. good for twisting cord
9 :utogau : a nut with edible shell and husk
10:fa’agaga :to ask for permission to pick coconuts
11:fa’ata’a :fibres twisted for making cord
12:fa’atatå :to crack a coconut in the middle so that the juice drains quickly
13:gutu :the soft hole of the nut (see sisi)
14:feti‘ipopo :to hang a pair of nuts on a tree
15:filiga :the edge or border of a coconut mat
16:fui :a cluster of nuts
17:fugafuga :the rubbish when cleaning fibres
18:galulu :the noise when a partially filled nut is shaken
19:la’ita :a palm with large clusters of small nuts
20:lau’a’a :the net-like sheath of the leaf
21:lau‘afa :cleaned coconut fibre
22:lauafega :leaves from very old trees
23:lauo’o :leaves from young trees
24:laulau :a house improvised of coconut leaves - table mats
25:le‘a :a kind of coconut (also of kava)
26:lolo :to prepare coconut kernel in order to obtain the oil
27:mafua :rancid kernel,attractive to birds
28:malaise :a block for beating coconut fibre on; a new name in place of saga
29:macaipu :the top half of a coconut shell
30:mataniu :the eye end of the nut (gutu)
31:matatuna :one part of the split husk
32:mati :stale fruit water
33:matofi :the fibres of a matatuna prepared for making into cord
34:migimigi :dry curling husks
35:moi‘a`a :fibres of the husk (moti’a`a)
36:mo’omo’o :a nut without juice or kernel
37:mole :an oily fluid bctwecn the hard and spongy kernel
38:molï :oil (u’u)
39:mu’a :a young nut with the kernel half formed
40:mulipu : (muliipu?) the point of the shell
41:niua :full of palms
42:niu’afa :large nuts, good for‘afa
43:niufetepulu :large husk and small kernel
44:niuui :a kind of coconut for the lulu’u, sprinkling with coconut water to remove the tapui
45:‘ini‘ini :ripe with no juice (o’o)
46:ipiniu :a coconut shell cup
47:o’a :to husk coconuts (mele’i)
48:oaoa :coconut shells tied together to rattle
49:olapita :a brittle leaf
50:u’u :scented oil
51:ulusü :the dry leaf stalk
52:unu :the strainer of a coconut fibre used in making oil
53:niumagu : old nuts (Sapapali’i)
54:magu : : old nuts (Sapapali’i)
55:niupaoga :tall palms
56:niusami :the nut before it is ripe
57:niutetea :palms with whitish leaves
58:penu :the grated kernel of the nut
59:pei, pepei, galemu :a nut broken in two
60:pogamata :the eye of the nut
61:pola :mats made of leaves for house jalousies
62:polani :mats for wrapping up things
63:popo :ripe nut (copra)
64:popouli :the nut in its best stage of ripeness
65:pulu :the husk of the coconut
66:pulufafine :the innermost layer of fibre
67:pulutane :the outer fibre,good for`afa
68:pulupului :a number of nuts tied together
69:salisali :the shell adhering to the remains of the kernel
70:salu :the broom made of the ribs of the leaves
71:sami :a nut shortly before being ripe (popo),tasting bitter
72:sasave :a kind of nut having no stem to the fruit
73:sisi :the two hard eyes of the nut; see gutu and mataniu
74:soamoemoe :the just unfolded leaf
75:su’i :a fork made from the leaf rib
76:su’i :a young nut having water but no kernel
77:susu’i :to make a hole in a young nut to drink it
78:ta’ale :the shoot of the crown of a palm
79:ta’ei :to break the nut to pieces
80:ta’e :the top of the nut which has been broken out to be able to drink it
81:ta’elafa :a very flat-bottomed nut broken open
82:tao’ave :a very productive palm
83:taume :the dried cover of the flowers (used for torches)
84:talele :to break a nut to pieces for eating, without drinking it
85:taniu :to cut down trees for spears or timber
86:lapa’au :the rough house mat placed underneath the others on top of the pebbles –tapa’auvai if made from four half fronds
87:tuatua :the rind of the kernel
References
- Utogau means a nut with edible shell and husk, but the name may indicate it was introduced from Tonga Island
- There are two varieties with large husk and small coconut, niu'afa and niufetepulu
- savase is the spicata type
- tao'ave means only a very productive palm, but to be checked becauase it seems that in Tonga Tao'kave is a special variety
- niutetea is described as palms with whitish leave, it may be Dwarf-types with yellow or orange fruits, that generally have palms of lighter green color.
2 :a’aa’a :the many-fibred coconut root
3 :‘afa :cord made of coconut fibre
4 :alava :the fibre of the stem and wood
5 :aleale :the young coconut with the kernel just formed
6 :amo :to separate the fibres from the husk by plucking
7 :aputi :the sheath of the young leaf
8 :‘ina :a coconut husk with long fibres. good for twisting cord
9 :utogau : a nut with edible shell and husk
10:fa’agaga :to ask for permission to pick coconuts
11:fa’ata’a :fibres twisted for making cord
12:fa’atatå :to crack a coconut in the middle so that the juice drains quickly
13:gutu :the soft hole of the nut (see sisi)
14:feti‘ipopo :to hang a pair of nuts on a tree
15:filiga :the edge or border of a coconut mat
16:fui :a cluster of nuts
17:fugafuga :the rubbish when cleaning fibres
18:galulu :the noise when a partially filled nut is shaken
19:la’ita :a palm with large clusters of small nuts
20:lau’a’a :the net-like sheath of the leaf
21:lau‘afa :cleaned coconut fibre
22:lauafega :leaves from very old trees
23:lauo’o :leaves from young trees
24:laulau :a house improvised of coconut leaves - table mats
25:le‘a :a kind of coconut (also of kava)
26:lolo :to prepare coconut kernel in order to obtain the oil
27:mafua :rancid kernel,attractive to birds
28:malaise :a block for beating coconut fibre on; a new name in place of saga
29:macaipu :the top half of a coconut shell
30:mataniu :the eye end of the nut (gutu)
31:matatuna :one part of the split husk
32:mati :stale fruit water
33:matofi :the fibres of a matatuna prepared for making into cord
34:migimigi :dry curling husks
35:moi‘a`a :fibres of the husk (moti’a`a)
36:mo’omo’o :a nut without juice or kernel
37:mole :an oily fluid bctwecn the hard and spongy kernel
38:molï :oil (u’u)
39:mu’a :a young nut with the kernel half formed
40:mulipu : (muliipu?) the point of the shell
41:niua :full of palms
42:niu’afa :large nuts, good for‘afa
43:niufetepulu :large husk and small kernel
44:niuui :a kind of coconut for the lulu’u, sprinkling with coconut water to remove the tapui
45:‘ini‘ini :ripe with no juice (o’o)
46:ipiniu :a coconut shell cup
47:o’a :to husk coconuts (mele’i)
48:oaoa :coconut shells tied together to rattle
49:olapita :a brittle leaf
50:u’u :scented oil
51:ulusü :the dry leaf stalk
52:unu :the strainer of a coconut fibre used in making oil
53:niumagu : old nuts (Sapapali’i)
54:magu : : old nuts (Sapapali’i)
55:niupaoga :tall palms
56:niusami :the nut before it is ripe
57:niutetea :palms with whitish leaves
58:penu :the grated kernel of the nut
59:pei, pepei, galemu :a nut broken in two
60:pogamata :the eye of the nut
61:pola :mats made of leaves for house jalousies
62:polani :mats for wrapping up things
63:popo :ripe nut (copra)
64:popouli :the nut in its best stage of ripeness
65:pulu :the husk of the coconut
66:pulufafine :the innermost layer of fibre
67:pulutane :the outer fibre,good for`afa
68:pulupului :a number of nuts tied together
69:salisali :the shell adhering to the remains of the kernel
70:salu :the broom made of the ribs of the leaves
71:sami :a nut shortly before being ripe (popo),tasting bitter
72:sasave :a kind of nut having no stem to the fruit
73:sisi :the two hard eyes of the nut; see gutu and mataniu
74:soamoemoe :the just unfolded leaf
75:su’i :a fork made from the leaf rib
76:su’i :a young nut having water but no kernel
77:susu’i :to make a hole in a young nut to drink it
78:ta’ale :the shoot of the crown of a palm
79:ta’ei :to break the nut to pieces
80:ta’e :the top of the nut which has been broken out to be able to drink it
81:ta’elafa :a very flat-bottomed nut broken open
82:tao’ave :a very productive palm
83:taume :the dried cover of the flowers (used for torches)
84:talele :to break a nut to pieces for eating, without drinking it
85:taniu :to cut down trees for spears or timber
86:lapa’au :the rough house mat placed underneath the others on top of the pebbles –tapa’auvai if made from four half fronds
87:tuatua :the rind of the kernel
References
Pratt, G. (1893). A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan vocabulary. London Missionary Society.
Krämer, A. (1994). The Samoa Islands: Material Culture (Vol. 2). University of Hawaii Press
Krämer, A. (1994). The Samoa Islands: Material Culture (Vol. 2). University of Hawaii Press
