Animals

1. Ko e manu

   Animal / bird

   Usage

   Animals in general; flying ones are distinguished as "manupuna"

2. Ko e kulī

   Dog

   Usage

   Dogs roam the villages freely; cognate with Māori "kurī"

3. Ko e pusi

   Cat

   Usage

   Borrowed from English

4. Ko e manupuna

   Bird

   Usage

   "Manu" (animal) plus "puna" (to fly)

5. Ko e lupe

   Pigeon / dove

   Usage

   The fruit dove, with cognate names across the Pacific

6. Ko e ika

   Fish

   Usage

   Fish in general; the word for the market

7. Ko e puaka

   Pig

   Usage

   Pigs wander the village roads freely and are the centrepiece of a feast

8. Ko e moa

   Chicken

   Usage

   An egg is "foʻimoa", the fruit of the fowl

9. Ko e kosi

   Goat

   Usage

   Borrowed from English "goat"; the older spelling was "koti"

10. Ko e kumā

    Rat / mouse

    Usage

    The word to use when reporting one at your accommodation

11. Ko e peka

    Flying fox

    Usage

    Kolovai on Tongatapu has a famous colony, protected by royal decree

12. Ko e moko

    Gecko / lizard

    Usage

    The gecko on your room wall; Fijian uses the same word "moko"

13. Ko e ngata

    Snake

    Usage

    Tonga has no land snakes, but banded sea kraits turn up on beaches and shallows — do not touch them

14. Ko e fonu

    Sea turtle

    Usage

    Protected; if you meet one while snorkelling, do not chase it

15. Ko e mango

    Shark

    Usage

    Comes up in dive briefings; keep the initial fakauʻa

16. Ko e tofuaʻa

    Whale

    Usage

    Humpbacks come to breed from July to October; Tonga is one of the few places you can swim with them

17. Ko e feke

    Octopus

    Usage

    Seen at markets and eateries alike; cognate with Samoan "feʻe"

18. Ko e paka

    Crab

    Usage

    Seen on beaches and flats, and sold at the market

19. Ko e namu

    Mosquito

    Usage

    They carry dengue, so repellent is essential; the same form exists in Samoan and Fijian

20. Ko e lango

    Fly

    Usage

    A word that comes up at open-air eateries

21. Ko e kutu

    Louse

    Usage

    For a pharmacy conversation; Fijian uses the same word "kutu"

22. Ko e pepe

    Butterfly

    Usage

    Careful with the macrons: "pēpē" is a baby, a different word

23. Ko e ʻunufe

    Worm / caterpillar

    Usage

    Covers caterpillars, grubs, and worms alike

24. Ko e ʻinisēkite

    Insect

    Usage

    Borrowed from English; useful when looking for something for insect bites

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