Understanding the Samoan Language & Providing Professional Samoan Interpreters and Translators
Global Interpreting understands the importance of working in the Samoan language. For over 10 years, Global Interpreting has worked with the Samoan language as well as hundreds of other from around the word. We are a one stop full language service provider. Offering Over the Phone, Video Remote, Face to Face, Transcription, Document and Website Translation in 150 languages including American Sign Language (ASL) nation and worldwide.
Sāmoan (Gagana Sāmoa, (pronounced [ŋaˈŋana ˈsaːmoa]) is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory ofAmerican Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Sāmoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most of the Samoa Islands' population of about 246,000. With many Sāmoan people living in other countries, the total number of speakers worldwide is estimated at 370,000. It is notable for the phonological differences between formal and informal speech.
The oldest pre-historic remains in Samoan archaeology have been dated by New Zealand scientists to to circa 3,000 BP (Before Present) from a Lapita site at Mulifanua excavated during the 1970s.
Samoan syllable structure is (C) V, where V may be long or a diphthong. A sequence VV may occur only in derived forms and compound words; within roots, only the initial syllable may be of the form V. Metathesis of consonants is frequent, such as manu for namu 'scent', lava‘au for vala‘au 'to call', but vowels may not be mixed up in this way.
Every syllable ends in a vowel. No syllable consists of more than three letters, one consonant and two vowels, the two vowels making a diphthong; as Fai, mai, tau. Roots are sometimes monosyllabic, but mostly disyllabic or a word consisting of two syllables. Polysyllabic words are nearly all derived or compound words; as nofogata from nofo and gata, difficult of access; taʻigaafi, from Tai, to attend, and afi, fire, the hearth, making to attend to the fire.
Sāmoan (Gagana Sāmoa, (pronounced [ŋaˈŋana ˈsaːmoa]) is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory ofAmerican Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Sāmoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most of the Samoa Islands' population of about 246,000. With many Sāmoan people living in other countries, the total number of speakers worldwide is estimated at 370,000. It is notable for the phonological differences between formal and informal speech.
The oldest pre-historic remains in Samoan archaeology have been dated by New Zealand scientists to to circa 3,000 BP (Before Present) from a Lapita site at Mulifanua excavated during the 1970s.
Samoan syllable structure is (C) V, where V may be long or a diphthong. A sequence VV may occur only in derived forms and compound words; within roots, only the initial syllable may be of the form V. Metathesis of consonants is frequent, such as manu for namu 'scent', lava‘au for vala‘au 'to call', but vowels may not be mixed up in this way.
Every syllable ends in a vowel. No syllable consists of more than three letters, one consonant and two vowels, the two vowels making a diphthong; as Fai, mai, tau. Roots are sometimes monosyllabic, but mostly disyllabic or a word consisting of two syllables. Polysyllabic words are nearly all derived or compound words; as nofogata from nofo and gata, difficult of access; taʻigaafi, from Tai, to attend, and afi, fire, the hearth, making to attend to the fire.
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The Samoan language is an important language worldwide. It is vital to understand the general nature and specific idiosyncrasies of Samoan. For over 10 years Global Interpreting has provided outstanding Samoan translators, over the phone, face to face and conference interpreters nation and worldwide.