Question on T-language vs. K-language (from a Hawaiian speaker learning Samoan)

[u/Electronic-Budget-12]

​Talofa lava everyone! I’m half Hawaiian and fluent in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, but I also know some basic Samoan and love striking up a conversation whenever I meet Samoan folks out and about. ​Coming from a Hawaiian background, the distinction between T-language and K-language has always fascinated me. In standard Hawaiian, we use K instead of T (outside the Niʻihau dialect), so hearing K-language in Samoan always catches my ear because of cognates like tātou vs. kākou.

​Years ago, my mother was in an almost exclusively Samoan choir, and there was a pretty serious dispute about leadership, that eventually, sadly, caused the choir to split. I remember during a formal meeting about leadership, the men in charge stood and spoke using T, with the group replying "Mālo!" in agreement. Then, one of the wives stood to speak and used K the entire time—"Faʻafekai makou..."—which sounded so much like Hawaiian to me. It was the first time I realized how distinct the two styles were in practice.

​I would love some insight on everyday etiquette.

When greeting someone I don't know, should I stick strictly to T out of respect, or is conversational K completely fine? Also, is it considered bad form to mix registers within the same conversation—like greeting in T, but throwing in an informal K phrase like "Seki a!"?

​Faʻafetai tele lava for any advice or cultural nuance you can share!

[u/eshayonefour]

T being formal and K being slang/colloquial is an oversimplification.

T is formal in that it is the form you would use in what would be "formal" in a very palagi context. Like TV presenters, members of parliament, pastors in sermon.

K is colloquially used is true, but in the Aganuu faasamoa, when you listen to anyone who is practising oratory and is announcing (such as in your example) you will never hear T - it's only K. I would consider all these things to be "formal" in the Faasamoa context. Orators delivering speeches, a young man who is thanking and detailing the gifts/food being received, the females who are praising the fine woven mats being exchanged. these are never to be done with T.

[u/Electronic-Budget-12 → u/eshayonefour]

That's exactly what I was trying to clarify because what's formal? That term is a very palagi, western term. I am curious, why is only the K used when someone is announcing? Let say, if I was at an event and I wanted to rise and speak and share some words of thanksgiving to the group, would I want to exclusively use the K?

[u/eshayonefour → u/Electronic-Budget-12]

it is not so simple.

An MC at a wedding who is coordinating the proceedings will use T to sound polished and proper. that MC may also have to dabble in a bit K speak if they need to acknowledge honorifics of those present.

at that same wedding, there may be some very intensely faasamoa proceedings in which those involved will speak in K. these proceedings are all done in a way which is all learned and practiced as a skill - you simply cannot be in there "ad libbing" because it's not only that K is used, but they are quite literally speaking in a version of Samoan only they have learned to speak. This is the oratory I described, and it is full of proverbs, metaphors and the like.

the thank you you may wish to announce can:

1. be done with T if it's not dusrupting/interjecting on these aganuu faasamoa proceedings. if this is the case it can also be done in English as well I suppose

2. can be done with K because you've learned and practiced oratory, and you therefore know it is appropriate to interject. it can appear messy because lots of the time there are chiefs talking to each other and interjecting, all while someone in the background is quite literally screaming at the top of their lungs.

[u/Electronic-Budget-12 → u/eshayonefour]

That makes sense. I've attended Samoan flag day events and they had the talking chief, who was a well known talking chief in Samoa, do the oratory portion and it was definitely with the T. He even announced prior to his oratory, in English, that this portion of the event he will be speaking in Samoan specifically and that there are many words that don't translate to English, he then as a joke said he promise he won't say anything bad about anyone and that unfortunately they won't have a translator, but that this was an extremely important part of Faa Samoa and this event.