Tongan (All Terms): Difference between revisions

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== References ==
* [[References]] (general)


[[Category:Overviews]]
[[Category:Overviews]]
[[Category:Tonga]] [[Category:Polynesia]]
[[Category:Tonga]] [[Category:Polynesian]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Service]]
[[Category:Service]]

Latest revision as of 03:26, 2 June 2026

Authors: Youla Azkarrula


Tongan sky culture descends from the practical application of nautical navigation. In some circumstances separation of individual star names from "star path" names cannot be resolved. A star may have multiple names:

  1. if the star is part of numerous star paths; and
  2. since the naming of stars can differ depending on which Tongan island group it originates from. The nomenclature of stars is approximated based on the limited resources available.

Some stars and constellations are absent in this sky culture such as Scorpio (parts in, or star of), North star, and many more. Common ancestry of Polynesian star lore's is evident in the similarities in the labelling of stars. For example the Pleiades is called Mataliki in Tongan, Matariki in Maori and Makali`i in Hawaiian.[1][2][3][4]

Solar System Names

Tongan English commentary
La'a Sun
Mahina Moon
Mercury
tapukitea Venus
Matamemea Mars
Jupiter
Saturn

List of terms (asterism names)

Tongan Term Designation Comment
Ae e'Uvea Corona Borealis Speculative
Fatanalua Coma Berenices Speculative
Fetu'u Star In general
Fetu'u'Esiafi Falling star
Fetu'ufuka Comet
Fungasia Toliman and/or Agena
Ha'amonga Ecliptic
Hikule'o Arcturus
Houmatoloa (Toloa, toloatonga, toloalahi)
Humu Coal sack
Kaniva Milky Way
Kapakau'o'tafahi Cassiopeia Speculative
Lua tangata Castor and/or Pollux
Ma'afulele Large Magellan cloud
Ma'afulele (same as LMC) Sirius
Ma'afutoka Small Magellan cloud
Ma'afutoka (same as SMC) Canopus
Monuafe Meissa
Motuliki Pleiades
'otu Ma'afu Magellanic clouds Both
Toloa Belt of Orion
Toloalahi False Cross
Toloatonga Southern Cross
Tuinga ika Part of Orion, belt and sword
Tu'ulalupe Hyades
'Umata Rainbow
Velitoa hahake Betelgeuse
Velitoa hififo Rigel

References

  1. Smale, Dan (online). Anutan sky culture in Stellarium, https://github.com/stellarium/stellarium , printed in Hoffmann and Wolfschmidt (eds., 2022), Astronomy in Culture --Cultures of Astronomy. Astronomie in der Kultur--Kulturen der Astronomie.: Featuring the Proceedings of the Splinter Meeting at the Annual Conference of the Astronomische Gesselschafb Sept. 14-16, 2021, tredition, Ahrensburg (Germany): 679-681.
  2. Velt Kik, Ko E Ngaahi fetu'u 'o, Stars over tonga, 1990 'Atenisi University, Nuku'alofa, Tonga Government printing department.
  3. T.H Fale, Tongan astronomy, 1990 Polynesian Eyes foundation, Nuku'alofa, Tonga Choice printing.
  4. E. E. V. Collocott, Tongan astronomy and calendar, 1992 Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian ethnology and Natural History, Vol.8, No. 4 Honolulu, Hawaii, Bishop Museum Press 1922, p. 157-173.