ali’i

ah-LEE-ee /aˈliʔi/

Definitions

n

  1. chief, high-ranking person (traditional leader, also used sarcastically for impudence)
    O le ali'i o lo matou nu'u → The high chief of our village

Related Forms

ali'ita'i (to have as chief), ali'itia (to be inhabited by chief)

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed by an expert

Samoan

  • E poto le ali'i
  • Ua sau le ali'i

English

  • The chief is wise
  • The chief has arrived

Source & Etymology

Rev. Pratt Dictionary Reference
ALI'I, s. a chief. 'O le ali'i o lo matou nu'u. Used also sarcastically ; as Lo'u, ali'i na, Your impudence !
Additional Notes

A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan vocabulary, by Rev George Pratt (1862)