Malo e lelei and welcome to another edition of the Tongan Pocket Dictionary series!
Today I will go through a list of our favorite fruits and veggies! Not every item on this list is native to the islands, and were therefore "anglified" by the natives.
Non-native fruits & veggies:
Apple - Apele
Cabbage - Kapisi
Carrot - Kaloti
Corn - Koane
Fig - Fiki
Garlic - Kaaleki
Grape - Kaalepi
Lettuce - Letisi
Onion - 'Onioni
Potato - Pateta
Pumpkin - Hinapaapalangi
Watermelon - Vaimeleni
Native fruits and vegetables:
Moli - the general term for orange
Siaine - the general term for banana
Tu'utu'ukautala - a different kind of banana
Mami - a different kind of banana
Haumi - a different kind of banana
Vaivai - a different kind of banana
Huli - a different kind of banana
Maaholi - a different kind of banana
Maaholihina - a different kind of banana
Tateau - a different kind of banana
Motu - a different kind of banana
Lehia - a different kind of banana
Hai - a different kind of banana
Vava - a different kind of banana
Munomuna - a different kind of banana
Vaamei - a different kind of banana
Hopa - the general term for plantain
Fuji - a different kind of plantain
Mama'e - a different kind of plantain
Vilai - a kind of bean (legumes)
Kuumala - the sweet potato1
Mango - Mango2
Niu - general term for coconut
Ui - a different kind of coconut
Lesi - Papaya
Faina - Pineapple
Laiatea - a different kind of pineapple
Hopa - the general term for breadfruit
Kea - a different kind of breadfruit
Keatala - a different kind of breadfruit
Loumoa - a different kind of breadfruit
Keama'ama'a - a different kind of breadfruit
Loutoko - a different kind of breadfruit
'Ufi - the general term for yam
Nguu - a different kind of yam
Tana - a different kind of yam
Tu'a - a different kind of yam
Falafala - a different kind of yam
Lauji - a different kind of yam
Tu'a'ataa - a different kind of yam
Palo - a different kind of yam
Tefau - a different kind of yam
'Ulungaaue - a different kind of yam
Moala - a different kind of yam
Tapuani - a different kind of yam
Mangatefua - a different kind of yam
Keu - a different kind of yam
Talo - a different kind of yam
Vejiveji - a different kind of yam
Kahokaho - a different kind of yam
Poa - a different kind of yam
Kaumele - a different kind of yam
Levei - a different kind of yam
Lokoloka - a different kind of yam
Manioke - Yucca
To - the general term for the sugarcane
Feta'anu - a different kind of sugarcane
Palaka - a different kind of sugarcane
Mangungu - a different kind of sugarcane
- 1. the word 'kuumala' is not Tongan in origin. Long ago, Polynesian voyagers traded various goods with the natives of South America -- particularly in the areas where Chile and Peru are now today. It was from here that the sweet potato was introduced to the islands, and is also where the original name 'kumara' or 'kumera' came from.
- 2. there is an island in Tonga called 'Mango'.