Tahitian Speech

How Its Beauties Have Been Preserved

By A. C. Rowland

ONE who has made even a casual study of Polynesian languages must marvel how the Society and Austral islanders—surrounded by the rugged dia lects of the Marquesas, Tuamotu, and Gambier archipelagoes at the East, and of the Cook Islands at the West —have evolved a speech from which all gutteral, nasal and sibilant sounds have been dis carded. Yet the language contains re sources of dignity and elegance, blended with euphony, far beyond those of any other Polynesian dialect—except, per haps, that of Samoa.

The mystery deepens when one recalls that the_ Maori of New Zealand —whose dialect is the most rugged of all— migrated from Ra’iatea, in the Society Archipelago, and, manifestly, speaks the language prevalent in the Society Archi pelago at the time of departure.

THE ancient custom throughout Poly nesia of a language within the language set apart as a speech of high ceremony and used only in the presence of high chiefs, may offer a guiding indication. This leads us to ven ture the pronouncement that the Tahi tian dialect held a more august dignity as the language of the gods.

During many centuries, Havai’i (the ancient name of Ra’iatea) was the sacred centre of Polynesia. A line run ning north and south through the island corresponded to the longitude at Green wich in our modern world. All west of this line was the Ao-tea (The Light World); all to the east the Ao-uri (The Dark World).

At stated periods, priests, high chiefs and custodians of ancient lore came from all the Islands world bringing gifts and sacrifices to the great cere mony of Pa’i Atua (the assemblage and uncovering of the gods) at Opoa, on Havai’i. Much of this ceremony was esoteric. It was, therefore, prudent to use a tongue not comprehensible to the uninitiated ears of the multitude—who were permitted to witness, from afar, the processions bearing the images, and other happenings within the precincts of the Marae.

Much more imperative, however, was a tongue which, by its soft persuasive ness, would propitiate the always angry and menacing gods of the Polynesian Pantheon.

UP to the great quarrel, which shat tered the widespread Islands Con federation and the Ao-tea high chiefs dwelling on the west coast of Havai’i with their followers, essayed the perilous voyage to Ao-tea-roa (New Zealand) and ambassadors from distant archipelagoes came no more to Otoa — the language of the gods was known only to nobility and the priesthood.

Later, it was used at the family Marae; then it became the language of poetry— in the Society Islands —and eventually the general speech of the archipelago.

Before the coming of the Chinese, the Tahitians guarded jealously the purity of their language.

Alas, to-day, the language of the gods has fallen from its high estate. As the speech of the marketplace, it has gath ered some fearful and wonderful ele ments; while elegance of form and euphony have “gone with the wind.”

This, to be sure, applies to the com mon speech. The Bible as translated into the Tahitian by Rev. Henry Nott — preserves the purity of the old language and has made Tahitian the language of the Church throughout the archipelagoes of Central and South-eastern Polynesia.