The Samoan word for weather is tau… and the weather is probably the safest conversation starter in any language or culture (that I know of).
As a shared experience, we can all relate to the weather, we naturally talk about it often so it’s usually easier to remember weather-themed words in a new language.
In this lesson we’ll start by getting to know a few Samoan words for events in nature. This will help us put together comments about the weather that can kickstart a conversation in Samoan.
Samoan Words From Nature
Before we start talking about the weather, it’s good to know a few Samoan words for common objects and occurrences in nature.
Commenting on the Weather
Sitting next to someone on the bus? Hopping into a taxi? The cheesiest easiest way to spark up a conversation is to make a simple comment about what the weather is doing.
Note: In Samoan, when we talk about something that is happening now (as in, the current state of the weather) we often use the present perfect tense, which marks a period from an unspecified time in the past until until now. In English, present perfect is expressed by saying things like, ‘have done’ or ‘has been.’
When we use the present perfect tense in these Samoan phrases, it’s understood that we are referring to what’s happening now.
A Samoan Proverb About the Weather
As a people who have lived off the land until only very recently, we have many alagāupu (Samoan proverbs) about the weather. This one is my favourite:
O le malaga faiaga e timuia.
Malaga is our word for journey, and faiaga means delayed or late.
The literal meaning of this saying is: A delayed journey is (often) rained upon.
It’s a gentle warning about the risks we take when we procrastinate.
☻