The official languages in Tahiti and French Polynesia
Today, French Polynesia has two official languages: Reo Tahiti (Tahitian) and French. But Polynesia itself is a vast triangle-shaped oceanic territory that stretches across the South Pacific, with three major points: Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, in the southeast; Hawaii, a popular American tourist destination, in the north; and Aotearoa, the former name for New Zealand, colonized by the British, in the southwest. Within this great Polynesian Triangle, there is a common ancestral language, which has evolved into distinct variants over time.
Over the course of two thousand years, thousands of Pacific islands were gradually conquered by a community of navigators coming from Southeast Asia, the Mā'ohi people, whom the Europeans named Polynesians. The term “Polynesia,” means “many islands,” distinguishing it from “Micronesia,” an archipelago of small islands, and “Melanesia,” meaning “black islands,” in reference to the skin tone of most of its inhabitants). These subdivisions are outdated, but remain common geographical references.
Evolution of Polynesian languages
In the 19th century, as France and England expanded their empires, the islands of Eastern Polynesia gradually became French following the protectorate of 1842.
The archipelagos of the Marquesas, Tuamotu, Gambier (renowned for Tahitian pearls), Austral and Society (home to then most famous destinations like Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora) gradually became French. Languages and dialects that existed before still coexist with French in these archipelagos.
Although French is the official language of French Polynesia, the most common language is Reo Māohi or Reo Tahiti, the Tahitian language spoken or understood in all the archipelagos. Its alphabet consists of five vowels, eight consonants, and special accents.
The other widely spoken language is Marquesan. The Marquesan people, great explorers, played a major role in the original settlement of Hawaii and Aotearoa (New Zealand). The influence of their language is still visible in both Hawaiian and Māori.
A Linguistic Heritage at Risk
In the Tuamotu Archipelago, a group of 77 atolls stretching from northeast Tahiti to northwest Gambier, six languages or dialects coexist. Although they are still spoken by the older generations, they are threatened daily by the internationalization of language: Tahitian has a strong influence, as does French, but also English, which is a widely spoken language due to the origin of most tourists.
Whether you’re a French or English speaker, you will have no trouble communicating with the Polynesian population during your trip in French Polynesia. The local population will always be delighted to hear you slip in a word or two of Reo Tahiti (Tahitian), if not Marquesan or Pa'umotu.
To help you on your journey, we invite you to explore our short reo Tahiti picture book of commonly used words, with exclusive images from Heiura Itae-Tetaa (Speak Tahiti), available on board our aircraft and on the Air Tahiti Nui website.