# Proto-Polynesian language

Proto-Polynesian (abbreviated PPn) is the reconstructed proto-language from which all modern Polynesian languages descend.
It is a descendant of the Proto-Oceanic language (the language associated with the Lapita civilization), itself a descendant of Proto-Austronesian. The homeland of Proto-Polynesian speakers is believed to have been Tonga, Samoa, and nearby islands.

## Phonology

Proto-Polynesian has a small phonological inventory, with 13 consonants and 5 vowels.

### Consonants

| | Bilabial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal |
| Plosive | *p | *t | *k | *ʔ |
| Nasal | *m | *n | *ŋ | |
| Fricative | *f | *s | | *h |
| Trill | | *r | | |
| Lateral | | *l | | |
| Glide | *w | | | |

### Vowels

Proto-Polynesian had five vowels, /a/ /e/ /i/ /o/ /u/, with no length distinction. In a number of daughter languages, successive sequences of vowels came together to produce long vowels and diphthongs, and in some languages these sounds later became phonemic.

### Sound correspondences

| Proto-Polynesian | Proto-Polynesian | Proto-Polynesian | *p | *t | *k | *ʔ | *m | *n | *ŋ | *w | *f | *s | *h | *l | *r |
| Tongan | Tongan | Tongan | p | t | k | ʔ | m | n | ŋ | v | f | s/h | h | l | l/Ø |
| Niuean | Niuean | Niuean | p | t | k | Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | f | h | h | l | l/Ø |
| Niuafoʻou | Niuafoʻou | Niuafoʻou | p | t | k | ʔ/Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | f | h | h/Ø | l | l/Ø |
| Proto-Nuclear-Polynesian | Proto-Nuclear-Polynesian | Proto-Nuclear-Polynesian | *p | *t | *k | *ʔ | *m | *n | *ŋ | *w | *f | *s | *Ø | *l | *l |
| | Samoan | Samoan | p | t~k | ʔ | Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | f | s | Ø | l | l |
| | East Futunan | East Futunan | p | t | k | ʔ/Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | f | s | Ø | l | l |
| | Tikopian | Tikopian | p | t | k | Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | f | s | Ø | ɾ | ɾ |
| | Nukuoroan | Nukuoroan | p | t | k | Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | h | s | Ø | l | l |
| | Proto-Eastern-Polynesian | Proto-Eastern-Polynesian | *p | *t | *k | *ʔ/Ø | *m | *n | *ŋ | *w | *f | *h | *Ø | *l | *l |
| | | Rapa Nui | p | t | k | ʔ/Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | v/h | h | Ø | ɾ | ɾ |
| | | Mangareva, Cook Islands Māori | p | t | k | Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | ʔ/v | ʔ | Ø | ɾ | ɾ |
| | | Tuamotuan | p | t | k | Ø | m | n | ŋ | v | f/h/v | h | Ø | ɾ | ɾ |
| | | Māori | p | t | k | Ø | m | n | ŋ | w | ɸ/h | h | Ø | ɾ | ɾ |
| | | Tahitian | p | t | ʔ | Ø | m | n | ʔ | v | f/v/h | h | Ø | ɾ | ɾ |
| | | N. Marquesan | p | t | k | Ø | m | n | k | v | h | h | Ø | ʔ | ʔ |
| | | S. Marquesan | p | t | ʔ | Ø | m | n | n | v | f/h | h | Ø | ʔ | ʔ |
| | | Hawaiian | p | k | ʔ | Ø | m | n | n | v/w | h/w | h | Ø | l | l |

## Vocabulary

The following is a table of some sample vocabulary as it is represented orthographically in various languages. All instances of ⟨ʻ⟩ represent a glottal stop, IPA /ʔ/. All instances of ⟨ng⟩ and Samoan ⟨g⟩ represent the single phoneme /ŋ/. The letter ⟨r⟩ in all cases represents voiced alveolar tap /ɾ/, not /r/.
Polynesian vocabulary :
| Proto-Polynesian | Tongan | Niuean | Samoan | Rapa Nui | Tahitian | Māori | Cook Islands Māori | S. Marquesan | Hawaiian | English |
| *taŋata | tangata | tangata | tagata | tangata | ta'ata | tangata | tangata | ʻenata | kanaka | person |
| *sina | hina | hina | sina | hina | hinahina | hina | ʻina | | hina | grey-haired |
| *kanahe | kanahe | kanahe | ʻanae | | 'anae | kanae | kanae | | ʻanae | mullet |
| *tiale | siale | tiale | tiale | tiare | tiare | tīare | tiare | | kiele | flower |
| *waka | vaka | vaka | vaʻa | vaka | va'a | waka | vaka | vaka | waʻa | canoe |
| *fafine | fefine | fifine | fafine | vi'e/vahine | vahine | wahine | vaʻine | vehine | wahine | woman |
| *matuʔa | mātu'a | motua | matua | matuʻa | metua | matua | metua, matua | motua | makua | parent |
| *rua | ua | ua | lua | rua | rua | rua | rua | ʻua | lua | two |
| *tolu | tolu | tolu | tolu | toru | toru | toru | toru | toʻu | kolu | three |