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INTENSIFIERS & DIMINUTIVES

Intensifiers are words which intensify the meaning of the sentence or a word within the sentence. English intensifiers include "very" and "extremely". Diminutives make the sentence seem less emphasised. In Tahitian, a wide range of intensifiers and diminutives are used, and, like adjectives, they always follow the word they modify.

nui "big; very"
ho'i "very, really, extremely; strong emphasis"
roa "long; very, really"
roaroa "very long; very, really, extremely"
noa "really, very, really"
iti "small; quite, somewhat; cute"

Mai te pó maru iti nui haumaru.

 

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