Editing Polynesian languages (section)

==Grammatical characteristics==
===Personal pronouns===
In general, Polynesian languages have three [[Grammatical number|numbers]] for pronouns and possessives: singular, [[dual (grammatical number)|dual]] and plural. For example, in Māori: ''ia'' (he/she), ''rāua'' (they two), ''rātou'' (they 3 or more). The words ''rua'' (2) and ''toru'' (3) are still discernible in endings of the dual and plural pronouns, giving the impression that the plural was originally a [[Grammatical number#Trial|trial]] (threesome) or [[paucal]] (a few), and that an original plural has disappeared.<ref>Indeed [[Fijian language|Fijian]], a language closely related to Polynesian, has singular, dual, paucal, and plural; and even there we may see the paucal replacing the plural in generations to come, as the paucal currently can be used for a group from 3 up to as many as 10, usually with some family, workgroup or other association.</ref>
Polynesian languages have four distinctions in pronouns and possessives: first exclusive, first inclusive, second and third. For example, in Māori, the plural pronouns are: ''mātou'' (we, exc), ''tātou'' (we, inc), ''koutou'' (you), ''rātou'' (they). The difference between [[Clusivity|exclusive and inclusive]] is the treatment of the person addressed. ''Mātou'' refers to the speaker and others but not the person or persons spoken to (i.e., "I and some others, but not you"), while ''tātou'' refers to the speaker, the person or persons spoken to, and everyone else (i.e., "You and I and others").

===''a'' and ''o'' possession===
Many Polynesian languages distinguish two [[Possessive pronoun|possessives]]. The a-possessives (as they contain that letter in most cases), also known as subjective possessives, refer to possessions that must be acquired by one's own action ([[alienable possession]]). The o-possessives or objective possessives refer to possessions that are fixed to someone, unchangeable, and do not necessitate any action on one's part but upon which actions can still be performed by others ([[inalienable possession]]). Some words can take either form, often with a difference in meaning. One example is the [[Samoan language|Samoan]] word {{lang|sm|susu}}, which takes the o-possessive in {{lang|sm|lona susu}} (her breast) and the a-possessive in {{lang|sm|lana susu}} (her breastmilk). Compare also the particles used in the names of two of the books of the Māori Bible: {{lang|mi|Te Pukapuka '''a''' Heremaia}} (The Book of Jeremiah) with {{lang|mi|Te Pukapuka '''o''' Hōhua}} (The Book of Joshua); the former belongs to Jeremiah in the sense that he was the author, but the Book of Joshua was written by someone else about Joshua. The distinction between one's birth village and one's current residence village can be made similarly.

===Numerals in Polynesian languages===
Numerals:<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Numbers List |url=http://www.zompist.com/numbers.shtml |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=zompist.com}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
![[English language|English]]
!one
!two
!three
!four
!five
!six
!seven
!eight
!nine
!ten
|-
![[Proto-Polynesian]]
|*tasi
|*rua
|*tolu
|*fa
|*rima
|*ono
|*fitu
|*walu
|*hiwa
|*haŋafulu
|-
![[Tongan language|Tongan]]
|taha
|ua
|tolu
|fa
|nima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|hiva
|hongofulu
|-
![[Niuean language|Niuean]]
|taha
|ua
|tolu
|fā
|lima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|hiva
|hogofulu
|-
![[Samoan language|Samoan]]
|tasi
|lua
|tolu
|fa
|lima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|iva
|sefulu
|-
![[Tokelauan language|Tokelauan]]
|tahi
|lua
|tolu
|fa
|lima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|iva
|hefulu
|-
![[Tuvaluan language|Tuvaluan]]
|tasi
|lua
|tolu
|fa
|lima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|iva
|agafulu
|-
![[Kapingamarangi language|Kapingamarangi]]
|dahi
|lua
|dolu
|haa
|lima
|ono
|hidu
|walu
|hiwa
|mada
|-
![[Ontong Java language|Ontong Java]]
|kahi
|lua
|kolu
|hā
|lima
|oŋo
|hiku
|valu
|sivo
|sehui
|-
![[Takuu language|Takuu]]
|tasi
|lua
|toru
|fa
|rima
|ono
|fitu
|varu
|sivo
|sinafuru
|-
![[Vaeakau-Taumako language|Pileni]]
|tasi
|rua
|toru
|fā
|lima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|iva
|kʰaro
|-
![[Sikaiana language|Sikaiana]]
|tahi
|lua
|tolu
|hā
|lima
|ono
|hitu
|valo
|sivo
|sehui
|-
![[Marquesan language|Marquesan]]
|e tahi
|e úa
|e toú
|e fa
|e íma
|e ono
|e fitu
|e vaú
|e iva
|ónohuú
|-
![[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]]
|‘e-kahi
|‘e-lua
|‘e-kolu
|‘e-hā
|‘e-lima
|‘e-ono
|‘e-hiku
|‘e-walu
|‘e-iwa
|‘umi
|-
![[Mangareva language|Mangareva]]
|tahi
|rua
|toru
|ha
|rima
|ono
|hitu
|varu
|iva
|rogouru
|-
![[Rapa Nui language|Rapa Nui]]
|tahi
|rua
|toru
|ha
|rima
|ono
|hitu
|vaʼu
|iva
|ʼahuru
|-
![[Māori language|Maori]]
|tahi
|rua
|toru
|whā
|rima
|ono
|whitu
|waru
|iwa
|tekau (also ngahuru)
|-
![[Tahitian language|Tahitian]]
|tahi
|piti
|toru
|maha
|pae
|ōno
|hitu
|vaʼu
|iva
|hōeʼahuru
|-
![[Cook Islands Māori|Rarotongan]]
|taʼi
|rua
|toru
|ā
|rima
|ono
|ʼitu
|varu
|iva
|ngaʼuru
|-
![[Tuamotuan language|Tuamotuan]]
|tahi
|rua
|toru
|fā
|rima
|ono
|hitu
|varu
|iva
|rongoʼuru
|-
![[Penrhyn language|Penrhyn]]
|tahi
|lua
|tolu
|hā
|lima
|ono
|hitu
|valu
|iva
|tahi-ngahulu
|-
![[Moriori language|Moriori]]
|tehi
|teru
|toru
|tewha
|terima
|teono
|tewhitu
|tewaru
|teiwa
|meangauru
|-
![[Anuta language|Anuta]]
|tai
|rua
|toru
|paa
|nima
|ono
|pitu
|varu
|iva
|puangapuru
|-
![[Emae language|Emae]]
|tasi
|rua
|toru
|fa
|rima
|ono
|fitu
|βaru
|siβa
|ŋafuru
|-
![[Futuna-Aniwa language|Futuna-Aniwa]]
|tasi
|rua
|toru
|fa
|rima
|ono
|fitu
|varo
|iva
|tagafuru
|-
![[Mele-Fila language|Mele]]
|tasi
|rua
|toru
|fa
|rima
|ono
|fitu
|βaru
|siβa
|siŋafuru
|-
![[Nanumea]]
|tahi
|lua
|tolu
|fā
|lima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|iva
|toa
|-
![[Nukuoro language|Nukuoro]]
|dahi
|ka-lua
|ka-dolu
|ka-haa
|ka-lima
|ka-ono
|ka-hidu
|ka-valu
|ka-siva
|ka-hulu
|-
![[Pukapukan language|Pukapuka]]
|tayi
|lua
|tolu
|wa
|lima
|ono
|witu
|valu
|iva
|laugaulu
|-
![[Rennellese language|Rennellese]]
|tahi
|ŋgua
|toŋgu
|hā
|ŋgima
|ono
|hitu
|baŋgu
|iba
|katoa
|-
![[Tikopia language|Tikopia]]
|tasi
|rua
|toru
|fa
|rima
|ono
|fitu
|varu
|siva
|fuaŋafuru
|-
![[Wallisian language|Wallisian]]
|tahi
|lua
|tolu
|fā
|nima
|ono
|fitu
|valu
|hiva
|hogofulu
|-
![[West Uvean language|West Uvea]]
|tahi
|ƚua
|toƚu
|fa
|lima
|tahia-tupu
|luaona-tupu
|toluona-tupu
|faona-tupu
|limaona-tupu
|}

The words for 1,000 and 10,000 in these languages notably shifted between eastern and western branches: those in Tongic and Samoic groups used {{Wikt-lang|to|afe}} for 1,000 and {{Wikt-lang|to|mano}} for 10,000; while Marquesic languages like Tahitian, Māori and Hawaiian use ''mano'' and ''tini'' ~ ''kini'' respectively.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Overmann |first=Karenleigh A. |title=Counting “elevens” and why nine and two make twenty: The material roots of Polynesian numbers |journal=Journal of Mathematics and Culture |date=Jun 2021 |volume=15 |issue=3 |page=5-6}}</ref>