Manu (Bird)

Mowakai(Brown Booby)

Gokii(Pacific Lorikeet)

Tolo Biti(White Tern)

Tuli(Ruddy Turnstone)

Moeho(Micronesian Starling)

Gataha(Great Frigate Bird)

Mona Moana(Island Swiftlet)

Gaga(Whimbrel)

Maduke(Pacific Reef Heron)

Manu Dahongo(Brown Noddy)

Koomol(Fruit Bat)

Mammal

Koomol(Fruit Bat)

Big(pig)

Paan(dog)

Buti(cat)

Gimo-Buti(rat)

Belu (Reptile)Gimo-Buti(rat)

Gimo(gecko)

Galia(skink)

Gee(sea turtle)

Mok(crocodile)

Giha(snake/eel)

Mehanik(tree monitor)

Honu(Hawksbill Sea Turtle)

Gee(Green Sea Turtle)

Findings Taxonomic Differences Useful Compound Names

Giha(Snake/Eel)Kiha Sedan

(Banded Snake Eel)

Nohu(Scorpionfish)

Liba(Surgeonfish)

Liba Luuli(Lavender Tang)

Liba Hai Ono Tau

(Brown Tang)

Liba Buawa(Blue-Spotted Bristletooth) Liba Tau

(Orange Shoulder Tang)

Dahidi(Butterfly Fish)

Hai(Rays)

Hai Hagallop(Manta Ray)

Hai Bongo(Whale)

Humu(Triggerfish)

Humu Dee(Undulate Triggerfish)

Humu Hole(Whitespotted

Filefish)

Igha (Fish)

Hai Manu(Eagle Ray)

Tun(Squaretail Grouper)

Ngatalate(Grouper)

Tonu Mada Hale(Saddleback Coral

Grouper)

Ngatala Mute(Blacksaddle Grouper)

Bulu Ngame(Brown Marbled

Grouper)Ngatalate(Speckled Blue Grouper)

Madabagu(Peacock Grouper)

Madaele(Coral Grouper)

Ono(Barracuda)

Tabadu(Blackfin Barracuda)

Makamaka(Starfish)

Barab(Crown of Thorns)

Magamaga(Mimic Octopus)

Wali(Puffer Fish)

Hokouru(Shark)

Hongobaba(Blacktip Reef Shark)

Mogolewe(Reef Whitetip Shark)

Maulungi(Nurse Shark)

Moea(Zebra Shark)

Matadalima(Hammerhead

Shark)

Introduction

• Taxa with more perceived importance to the Kapingese lifestyle

have more complex folk taxonomies

• The fish taxonomy has more classifiers than any of the other

evaluated taxa as might be expected due to the Kapingese’s

reliance on the sea for food and material goods

• Some organismal families can be broken down further. For

instance, Kapingese classify Triggerfish by fish size and

edibleness

• Primary breakdowns are by body plan first and then species size

• The Kapinga language has a prevalence of

compound names – For example, Liba Hai

Ono Tau means Surgeonfish-Stingray-

Barracuda-Spine

• Compound names show links between

taxa.

Gimo Buti – Lizard-Cat (Rat)

Hai Manu – Ray-Bird (Eagle Ray)

These links suggest that the Kapinga folk

taxonomies are a continuum rather than

separate groupings of organisms

We thank Brook Lillehaugen and Ted Fernald, the Co-PI’s on the grant KDH received from NSF. Also, thanks to Jamie Thomas

and Jeremy Fahringer for their help in elicitation and data workflow, Greg Anderson for vetting ideas and the rest of the

linguistics team for making the experience an adventure. None of this work would have been possible without the generous aid

of my Micronesian hosts and teachers – Johnny Rudolph, Hawortson Heinreich, Collin Saick, Swingly Judas and J.M. Mateak

– thank you for putting up with my stumbling phrases and poor spearfishing. Additionally, we would like to thank Swarthmore

College and Haverford College for the use of their facilities, food and equipment. Finally, thank you to Stephanie Carrera

Lozano for help with poster design and implementation.

Methods

The connections between species and cultures have been recognized and described by the

languages of indigenous peoples for centuries. The Kapinga language, which is an

endangered Micronesian language spoken by only 3,000 people, is one example of a

language that reflects a coupling between a human system and natural system. Due to its

endangerment and isolation, efforts to study Kapingese human-environment interactions

often reveal unstudied aspects of South Pacific fishing cultures and double as

opportunities to preserve unique and threatened language structures.

Placing Animals in the Kapinga Folk Taxonomies

Data collection was done on Pohnpei Island, FSM, by an intercollegiate linguistics team. The work involved field

elicitation of species names and interviews with native Kapingese fishermen regarding taxonomic relationships.

• Interviews with locals about language loss, irresponsible fishing methods and shifting baseline principles

• Hand-collection, netting, videotaping and photography of hundreds of island species resulting in 580 Kapingese

names for island flora and fauna

• Shared data including over 800 recordings of words, definitions, videos and photographs on online Talking

Dictionaries to maintain the language for locals and diaspora communities

HAVERFORD

Kapinga folk taxonomies representing the conceptual framework

and relationships for Micronesian reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals.

Acknowledgements

Compound names connect independent

taxonomies and illustrate relationships for

Micronesian reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals.

Swingly Judas piloting a boat before a fishing trip Heinrich (left) and Swingly identify species from a field guide A sample entry in the Kapinga Talking Dictionary A Pohnpei Lorikeet (T. rubiginosus) known as GokiiCollin Saick translates a fishing tale shared by Stewan Duiai

Folk taxonomies, species naming, and linguistic diversity:An ethnobiological approach to Micronesian fauna

Joe Corcoran and K. David Harrison | Swarthmore College Department of Linguistics, Swarthmore, PA: Haverford College Department of Linguistics, Haverford, PA: Pohnpei, Micronesia

Bird Taxonomy Fish Taxonomy

Highly accurate

but inefficient

Highly efficient but

inaccurate

Includes only

birds and bats

Catch all for all

marine species

Classified by

species type

Classified by body

plan and size

Few compound

names

Abundance of

compound names

Manu(bird Unique

Beginner)

Igha(Fish Unique

Beginner)

Mammal(Unique

Beginner)

Belu(Lizard Unique

Beginner)

Hai Manu(Bird Ray)

Koomol(Fruit Bat)

Giha(Snake/Eel)

Gimo-Buti(Rat)