Author Description

Kupa mai te Tutolu or "Words from Tokelau" is a collection of oral texts covering a wide range of genres from the most formal to the informal. All the texts are presented in Tokelauan, a Polynesian language spoken by about 1600 people on the three Tokelau islands and by about 3000 Tokelauans living in New Zealand, and are accompanied by English translations and extensive notes. Great care has been taken to ensure that the particular characteristics of the oral performances have not been lost. The book combines a traditional philological analysis with empirically oriented, modern linguistic, and anthropological approaches. The combination of in-depth textual studies and a sensitivity to features of performance and context makes this study an original contribution to the field of Polynesian studies.