Tongan (All Terms): Difference between revisions
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Created page with "Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}} ---- 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: # if the star is part of numerous star paths; and # 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 ava..." |
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Revision as of 03:16, 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:
- if the star is part of numerous star paths; and
- 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 |
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Velt Kik, Ko E Ngaahi fetu'u 'o, Stars over tonga, 1990 'Atenisi University, Nuku'alofa, Tonga Government printing department.
- ↑ T.H Fale, Tongan astronomy, 1990 Polynesian Eyes foundation, Nuku'alofa, Tonga Choice printing.
- ↑ 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.
