Animals

1. manu

   Animal / bird

   Usage

   Animals in general, and birds in particular; shared across the Polynesian languages

2. maile

   Dog

   Usage

   Village roads have plenty of loose dogs; some walkers carry a stick

3. pusi

   Cat

   Usage

   Borrowed from English; Tongan uses the same word

4. i'a

   Fish

   Usage

   Fish in general; the word for markets and eateries

5. pua'a

   Pig

   Usage

   Pigs wander the villages freely and are essential to any feast

6. moa

   Chicken

   Usage

   Roosters will be your alarm clock

7. pato

   Duck

   Usage

   The domestic duck

8. povi

   Cow

   Usage

   Borrowed from English "beef"; tinned beef, "pisupo", is a Samoan staple

9. 'oti

   Goat

   Usage

   Borrowed from English "goat"

10. mamoe

    Sheep

    Usage

    Rarely farmed in Samoa; the word comes up mostly around imported New Zealand mutton

11. solofanua

    Horse

    Usage

    Built as "the one that runs on land"

12. 'iole

    Rat / mouse

    Usage

    "Isumu" is also used; cognate with Hawaiian "ʻiole"

13. pe'a

    Flying fox

    Usage

    Big fruit bats fly at dusk; the same word also names the traditional male tattoo

14. mo'o

    Gecko / lizard

    Usage

    The gecko on your wall; cognate with Hawaiian "moʻo", which additionally names a water spirit

15. laumei

    Sea turtle

    Usage

    Protected; if you see one while snorkelling, do not chase it

16. malie

    Shark

    Usage

    Also "magō"; the same spelling doubles as a shout of approval, so mind the context

17. tafolā

    Whale

    Usage

    Humpbacks pass through in the southern winter

18. fe'e

    Octopus

    Usage

    Sold at the market; cognate with Tongan "feke"

19. pa'a

    Crab

    Usage

    Seen on beaches and rocks

20. namu

    Mosquito

    Usage

    They carry dengue, so repellent and a net are essential; Tongan and Fijian use the same word

21. lago

    Fly

    Usage

    A word for open-air eateries; cognate with Tongan "lango"

22. loi

    Ant

    Usage

    They arrive the moment food is left out

23. mogamoga

    Cockroach

    Usage

    The word for reporting one at reception

24. 'apogāleveleve

    Spider

    Usage

    Samoa has no spiders dangerous to people

25. pepe

    Butterfly

    Usage

    Tongan and Tahitian use the same word

26. lupe

    Pigeon / dove

    Usage

    The fruit dove; Samoa's national bird, the manumea, belongs to this group

27. gogo

    Tern

    Usage

    A seabird; fishermen read the flocks to find fish

28. lulu

    Owl

    Usage

    Calls at night and appears often in oral tradition

29. tuna

    Eel

    Usage

    The freshwater eel, unrelated to English "tuna"; Māori uses the same word

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