# Talofa

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Greeting in Samoan language

For the United States Navy ship, see [USS Talofa (SP-1016)](/source/USS_Talofa_(SP-1016)).

**Talofa** is a [salutation](/source/Salutation_(greeting)) or [greeting](/source/Greeting_habits) in the [Samoan language](/source/Samoan_language) of the [Samoan Islands](/source/Samoan_Islands).[1]

*Talofa* echoes in such phrases as *ta'alofa* in [Tuvalu](/source/Tuvalu), *[aloha](/source/Aloha)* in [Hawaiian](/source/Hawaiian_language) and *[aro'a](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aro%27a&action=edit&redlink=1)* in [Cook Islands Māori](/source/Cook_Islands_M%C4%81ori). Another Samoan salutation *To life, live long!* properly translated *Ia ola!* also echoes in places such as [Aotearoa](/source/Aotearoa) ([New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand)), where the formal greeting in [Māori](/source/M%C4%81ori_language) is [Kia ora](/source/Kia_ora) and in [Tahiti](/source/Tahiti) ([French Polynesia](/source/French_Polynesia)) where it is ['Ia orana](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%27Ia_orana&action=edit&redlink=1).

*Talofa* is also the greeting of the island of [Lifou](/source/Lifou) ([New Caledonia](/source/New_Caledonia)), and of the island state of [Tuvalu](/source/Tuvalu). The word was brought to [Lifou](/source/Lifou) by the Samoan teachers of the [London Missionary Society](/source/London_Missionary_Society) who converted the population from 1841.[2]

## Etymology

The Official Government Website of American Samoa says: "Talofa is short for 'Si o ta alofa atu,' – which means, 'I am happy and delighted to give you my love.' When you respond, 'Talofa lava!' you are reciprocating with a full grant of your love and affection."[3]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:0_1-0)** Duranti, Alessandro (2009). [*Linguistic anthropology*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ptk9xUamLeUC&q=ali%27i&pg=PA209). John Wiley and Sons. p. 217. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4051-2632-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4051-2632-8). Retrieved 8 July 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Léonard Drilë Sam, ["Marques aspecto-temporelles et modales et structures d'actance du *drehu*, langue de Lifou (Nouvelle-Calédonie)"](http://portail-documentaire.unc.nc/files/public/bu/theses_unc/TheseLeonardDrileSam2007.pdf), [PhD](/source/PhD) dissertation, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [American Samoa Official Web Site](https://web.archive.org/web/20100528153743/http://americansamoa.gov/speeches/speech-open-art-fest2008.htm)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Talofa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talofa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talofa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.