Wamesa and Tongan/Lexical Selection

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wad → ton

The Wamesa word matotap can mean to fall or to collapse.

  • (wad) matotap (to fall) → tō (ton)
  • (wad) matotap (to collapse) → holo (ton)

In Wamesa, mun means to hunt or to kill.

  • (wad) mun (hunt) → fakaʻete (ton)
  • (wad) mun (kill) → tāmateʻi (ton)

Example sentences

    • Ex: Babinpai antumpai sumatotap. (The woman and the child fall.)
    • Ex: Aniopasiat simatotap. (The houses are collapsing.)
    • Ex: Imun pimunapesi. (I am hunting a pig.)
    • Ex: Imun muanpai. (I killed the man.)

ton → wad

The Tongan word tangi means to cry/weep as well as to ask/appeal.

  • (ton) (to cry/weep) tangi → sau (wad)
  • (ton) (to ask/appeal) tangi → utanusara (wad)

In Tongan, kakalu means either cricket or whistle. Generally speaking, kakalu will likely translate to cricket more often than whistle, because it is a secondary definition for whistle.

  • (ton) (large cricket or cicada) kakalu → sararer (wad)
  • (ton) (whistle) kakalu → nginggisi (wad)

Example sentences

In this example sentence, the lexical selection tool should choose the translation "nginggisi", because the "kakalu" is preceded by the verb "angi", which means to blow.

  • ʻOku ou angi e kakalu. (I blow the whistle.)
  • ʻOku ou moloki e kakalu. (I step on a cricket.)


In this example, the translation "utanusara", because "tangi" is followed by the word for question.

  • ʻOku ou tangi a fehuʻi. (I ask a question.)
  • ʻOku tangi