A linguistic debate has erupted on Tongan social media after Kaniva News mentioned a lyrical word in a recent story about an incident in Ha’apai.
It was a comment on a post sharing a Kaniva News story to its Facebook page, where the editor quoted lyrics from Queen Sālote’s song Hiva ʻAfa ʻa Vaea: “Haʻapai tuʻu hoʻo kai muʻa.” The word is recorded in other sources as kāimu’a.
Some readers quickly corrected this, arguing that kāimu’a was incorrect and that tāimuʻa was the proper term.
However, Kaniva News has pushed back, presenting evidence from a revered cultural source—Queen Sālote Tupou III’s songbook—to confirm their accurate usage.
Published in the authoritative book Songs & Poems of Queen Salote—edited by Elizabeth Wood-Ellem and translated into English by Tongan Linguist Dr Melenaite Taumoefolau the chorus concludes with the phrase in which the term is included: “Haʻapai tu’u hoʻo kai muʻa.”
The disputed word appears on page 201, leaving little room for doubt.
Kaniva News stood by its reporting, stating the term was intentionally chosen based on this historical reference. We do not make linguistic errors lightly, and that’s our response to our critics.
This is Queen Sālote’s own wording, preserved by our most respected scholars and members of the royal family, including Queen Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho and the Late King George V.
The editor of Kaniva News maintained contact with Dr Taumoefolau, who was his teacher at the University of Auckland. They discussed the lyrics published in the book from time to time, and Dr Taumoefolau confirmed that all the lyrics in the Queen’s songs and poems book had been verified against the Royal Palace’s records of the Queen’s handwriting on her songs and other documents.
The Story Behind Hiva Afā ‘a Vaea and the Meaning of kāimu’a
The song Hiva Afā ‘a Vaea (Vaea’s Hurricane Song) was composed by Queen Sālote Tupou III to honour her nephew, who served as governor of Haʻapai.
The inspiration came in 1961 when Vaea and a group from Haʻapai presented kahokaho yams and food to the Queen for her 61st birthday.
During their return voyage, a hurricane struck, forcing them to take refuge on Haʻafeva Island.
Their boat, Fangaʻi Lifuka, was lost in the storm, prompting the Queen to memorialise the event in song.
The Linguistic Debate: kai mu’a vs. taaimu’a
In contemporary Tongan, kai mu’a, also written as kāimuʻa, is sometimes considered derogatory, suggesting someone who is overly forward or showy by taking actions intended for others.
Those who believed the lyrical term was ‘taaimu’a’ appeared to be mistaken. They conflated it with the derogatory phrase ‘tuku ho’o kai mu’a’—a warning telling someone to stop being overly forward—and wrongly assumed that the apparent lyrics ‘Haʻapai tuku ho’o kai mu’a’ were incorrect. In English, this would translate to: ‘People of Haʻapai, stop being overly forward.’ However, this interpretation is a misconception based on a misreading of the actual lyrics.
While the contemporary use of the term “kai mu’a” is derogatory, this appears to be a result of its evolutionary process, which is normal in any language.
Put differently, the original term—which explains the Queen’s usage—carried a positive and culturally significant meaning.
Linguists Feleti Vi and Dr. C. Maxwell Churchward documented kāimuʻa in the Tonga English Dictionary (1959) as an acceptable term with both neutral and poetic forms.
They defined it as “kāimuʻa – leading or principal (person/people); also self-confident, self-possessed, free from stage fright.”
Two years later, in 1961, Queen Sālote used the term in her song’s chorus: ‘Haʻapai tuʻu hoʻo kai muʻa,’ not ‘Ha’apai tuku ho’o kai mu’a,’ as our critics mistakenly thought.
The context suggests that the Queen was urging her relatives from Haʻapai to summon their legendary courage and stand firm in times of difficulty—a reference to the ordeal faced by Vaea and his crew before their boat sank; see the full lyrics below.
The Authority Behind Songs and Poems of Queen Sālote
Songs and Poems of Queen Sālote stands as the only official compilation of the late monarch’s musical and poetic works. This authoritative volume was meticulously prepared with contributions from Tonga’s foremost scholars and royalty:
- Queen Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho (the eldest daughter of Noble Vaea and wife of King Tupou VI) co-curated the material and wrote essays providing historical and cultural context.
- Dr. Melenaite Taumoefolau, a leading Tongan linguist, handled translations.
- The text was edited by Elizabeth Wood-Ellem, renowned for her expertise on Tongan history, and features an analytical essay by Professor Adrienne Kaeppler, a preeminent scholar of Pacific cultures.
- The book was foreworded by the late King George Tupou V, a grandchild of Queen Sālote.
This collaborative effort ensures the preservation of Queen Sālote’s legacy with both linguistic precision and scholarly depth.
The full lyrics of the song:
Hiva Afā ‘a Vaea
Ne sika a hema fakahihifo
Louloua’a e matangi to
Kolongatata ke fakauo
‘O falala he faka’osikato
‘Ise’isa e Kao mo Tofua
Vilingia hoto kie tāua
Kuo hola ‘ae fanga ‘i Lifuka
Tounoa e Maka ko Loupua.
Pa ‘a e ui moe fie uō
Ofo ‘ae Fanga Falikipako
Fine Ha’apai ke fakafanongo
Ui ‘a e fangufangu ‘i he pō
Fakamafola ‘ihe vaha mama’o
Ko si’oto salusalu manako
Ke talia ‘ae angi na’a tō
Ke me’ite Sia ko Veiongo.
Lelea e hoku ‘ofa atu
sia ko kafoa ‘alo ‘i talau
tangi ‘ae toa tu’uaki tau
he kuo fe’ofa’aki ‘a kakau
fasi pe sila tuku ki manono
ke fangumalilingi ‘i vaha’a kolo
ne ngangatu ‘o ‘alaha ‘i he loto
kae tupulaki ‘ofa ‘i he moto
ka faingata’a pe faingofua
Ha’apai tu’u hoʻo kai muʻa
Ka fehu’i ‘e he Futu ko Vuna
Pe ‘ekea ‘e he taunga pekaa
Tau ta vale pe ‘i ke tala
He ko au e ko e talatā
Ko e manusiu ‘o Uoleva
Ko si’eku me’akai koe fā
‘Ou inu hahau mo kai la’ā
Mohenga ‘i he fisi ‘oe naua.
