Tohi Vagahau Niue: Niue Language Dictionary

This is a second-hand copy of the book Tohi Vagahau Niue: Niue Language Dictionary, edited by Wolfgang B. Sperlich and published in 1997 by the Government of Niue in association with the Department of Linguistics, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu. It is a hardback with a dust jacket and 595 pages.

About the book:

'Tohi Vagahau Niue', a significant new dictionary detailing the Polynesian language of Niue, will benefit Niuean studies for years to come. While its main aim is to be a repository for native speakers, it will also serve a wider linguistic audience, including comparativists and theorists in lexicography. Detailed 'user notes' introduce the reader to the basic challenges in Niuean lexicography and grammar. With some 10,000 Niuean word entries, the present dictionary is a significant expansion on an earlier work by J.M. McEwen (1970), which featured some 4,000 Niuean entries. In addition, the English- Niuean finderlist, with some 4,000 English headwords, serves as an index to the riches of the Niuean language. The Niuean contributors took great care to present their language as a living entity while preserving its valuable past, but they are also aware of its uncertain future. Language revival is essential to preserve a linguistic Pacific jewel, and as such, the new dictionary will lend status to Niuean language studies as well as being an invaluable help in using Niuean confidently in everyday life.

The main Niuean-English section reflects a richness in word formation, and as such the organization departs from the strict alphabetization and de-nesting used in many English dictionaries. To show in one place the many derivations a Niuean headword can enter into, an innovative presentation is employed whereby all derivations with the main entry as its lexical head are included under the headword. Morpheme boundaries are shown consistently to allow the user to reconstruct complex words. Consistent use of example sentences enable the dictionary user to better understand the syntactic environment of the word in question. Etymological entries enhance the understanding of Niuean as part of the great Polynesian language family.

With this dictionary, Niuean lexicography comes of age and thus joins the other great Polynesian dictionaries, such as Hawaiian, New Zealand Maori, Tongan, Samoan, Tahitian, Tokelauan, and Cook Island Maori.

Note on the condition: this is a used book. It is in very good condition. The dust jacket is protected by a nonadhesive PVC cover. This can be removed easily and is added only to keep the dust jacket safe. On the front cover is some writing from a previous owner.

Condition: used
Format: hardback (dust jacket)
ISBN: 9780824819330
Pages: 595