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Samoan Material Culture

Terminology

Terminology

The term "plaiting" has been used so much with cordage that, as a general term, it need not confuse us. There are, however, two distinct methods: twisting and braiding. Twisting again is divided into two forms of technique according to whether the quantity of material used is small or large. For cords and lines, the plies of the cord are twisted around each other on the bare thigh, which process is termed milo. Here milo refers to both twisting the individual strands or plies separately and then over one another. The one follows the other as a matter of course. In rolling coconut fibre together on the bare thigh, the process stops short at the rolling of the individual strands. They are afterwards braided. The term milo could not be applied, so the term fa'ata'a is used. In twisted cords and twisted ropes of coconut fibre, the twisting of each ply separately and then over each other was done by hand, the milo process on the thigh being unsuitable or impossible. In Tutuila, this process was called lafo, though Pratt does not give that meaning.

To twist plies over and under each other, as in braiding, is termed fili. Three-ply sennit braid has received the specific name of 'afa (cf. kaha and 'aha) but it may be further distinguished as 'afa fili-tolu (tolu, three). In braiding, some confusion in terms appears to exist as to cordage with more than three plies. There is no trouble as to the number, which is simply mentioned in the name. The lack of clarity is in the use of the terms tua (fold) and langa as in 'afa tua lima and 'afa langa lima. As langa seems to be derived from lalanga (to plait a basket or mat), it probably refers to a braid made with the technique of check plaiting, where each ply passes over one and under one, whereas tua would refer to the braids made like three ply braid, but where the outside ply crossing over to the middle position may cross over more than one ply. Thus the round four-ply braid is an 'afa langa fa (fa, four) whilst the five-ply braid seen in use is an 'afa tua lima (lima, five). All sennit cords and braids are called 'afa with a qualifying word. When 'afa is used alone, a three-ply braid is meant. The two-ply twist is also loosely called 'afa fili lua, which is not the correct usage of fili.

Threads, or fine cords are termed manoa, fine lines, ta'a and ordinary fish-page 233ing lines, afo. A rope is maea and its strands fu'a. The word taura used in the Maori and Cook Islands dialects for a rope, means an anchor in the Samoan form of taula. The term maea in Maori means to come to the surface of the water but has not retained that meaning in Samoan. The Maori word for anchor is punga which in Samoan is restricted to larger lumps of coral. Archdeacon Williams, in conversation, suggested that the Maori named his anchor from the material punga and displaced the term taura (taula) to the rope which brought it up. The Samoan restricted punga to the coral, kept taula for the anchor and used maea for the rope which caused the anchor to come up to the surface.