NAʻE hoko moʻoni ʻa e meʻa ko ia naʻe hiki ʻi he Tohi Tapú? Naʻe kamata ai pē ʻa e lea ʻa e kakaí ʻi he ngaahi lea kehekehe ʻi he taimi pē ʻe taha ʻo hangē ko ia naʻe fakamatalaʻí? ʻOku lumaʻi ʻe he niʻihi ʻa e fakamatala ʻa e Tohi Tapú ki he founga ʻa e kamata ʻo e ngaahi lea ʻa e tangatá mo ʻene mafolá. Naʻe taukaveʻi ʻe he faʻutohi ʻe taha: “Ko e talatupuʻa ʻo e Taua ʻo Pēpelí ʻoku papau ko e taha ia ʻo e ngaahi talanoa taʻeʻuhinga taha kuo faifai ange pea talanoaʻí.” Naʻa mo ha lāpai Siu naʻá ne fakahaaʻi ia “ko ha feinga taʻeʻaonga ia ke fakamatalaʻi ʻa e tupuʻanga ʻo e ngaahi leá.”

Ko e hā ʻoku siʻaki ai ʻe he kakaí ʻa e fakamatala ki Pēpelí? ʻI hono ʻai mahinó, ʻoku fepakipaki ia mo e ngaahi fakamahamahalo ʻe niʻihi fekauʻaki mo e tupuʻanga ʻo e leá. Ko e fakatātaá, ʻoku pehē ʻe he kau mataotao ʻe niʻihi ko e ngaahi kulupu ʻo e leá naʻe ʻikai ke ʻasi fakafokifā mai ka naʻe tupu māmālie pē mei ha “lea tuʻufonua” ʻe taha. Naʻe tui ʻa e niʻihi ko e ngaahi muʻaki lea lahi naʻe tupu ʻo ʻikai fakatuʻunga ʻi ha meʻa, ʻo fakalakalaka mei he kiʻi ngūnguú ki ha faʻunga lea mahino. Ko e ngaahi meʻá ni mo e ngaahi fakamahamahalo fepakipaki kehé kuo fakatupunga ai ʻa e tokolahi ke nau loto-tatau mo Palōfesa W. T. Fitch, ʻa ia naʻá ne hiki ʻi heʻene tohi The Evolution of Language: “ʻOku teʻeki ai ke tau maʻu ha ngaahi tali fakatuipau kakato.”

Ko e hā naʻe maʻu ʻe he kau keli fakatotoló mo e kau fekumí fekauʻaki mo e tupuʻanga pea mo e tukuʻau mai ʻa e ngaahi lea ʻa e tangatá? ʻOku fakapapauʻi ʻe he meʻa naʻa nau ʻiló ha taha ʻo ʻenau ngaahi fakamahamahalo kuo ʻomaí? Pe ʻoku poupouʻi ʻe he ngaahi meʻa kuo maʻú ʻa e fakamatala ki Pēpelí? ʻUluakí, tau vakai lelei angé ki he fakamatala ko ia ʻa e Tohi Tapú.

KO FĒ FEITUʻU MO E TAIMI NAʻE HOKO AÍ?

ʻOku pehē ʻi he Tohi Tapú ko hono fakapuputuʻuʻi ʻa e leá pea mo e movete ʻa e kakaí naʻe hoko ia “ʻi he fonua ko Saina;” naʻe ui ki mui ko Papilōnia. (Sēnesi 11:2) Naʻe hoko ia ʻanefē? “Naʻe vahevahe ai ʻa e  fonua” pe kakaí ko e lau ia ʻa e Tohi Tapú, ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Pelekí, ʻa ia naʻe fāʻeleʻi ia ʻi he taʻu ʻe 250 nai ki muʻa ʻia ʻĒpalahame. Ko ia ʻoku hā mahino ko e ngaahi meʻa ʻi Pēpelí naʻe hoko ia ʻi he taʻu nai ʻe 4,200 kuo maliu atú.—Sēnesi 10:25; 11:18-26.

ʻOku fakamahamahalo ʻa e kau mataotao ʻe niʻihi ko e ngaahi lea ʻi onopōní naʻe tupu ia mei ha muʻaki lea ʻe taha—ʻoku taku ko e lea tuʻufonua ʻa ia naʻa nau fakakaukau naʻe leaʻaki ʻe he tangatá ʻi he meimei taʻu ʻe 100,000 kuo maliu atú. a ʻOku taukaveʻi ʻe he niʻihi ko e ngaahi lea ʻi he ʻaho ní ʻoku felālāveʻi ia mo e ngaahi lea tefito kehekehe kuo leaʻaki ʻi he meimei taʻu ʻe 6,000 kuo maliu atú. Ka ʻoku anga-fēfē hono toe faʻu ʻe he kau fakatotolo ki he leá ke toe ʻi ai ʻa e ngaahi lea naʻe molé? “ʻOku fihi eni,” ko e lau ia ʻa e makasini Economist. “ʻI he ʻikai hangē ko e kau faipaiolosií, ko e kau fakatotolo ki he leá ʻoku ʻikai ke nau maʻu ha ngaahi lēkooti ʻo e ngaahi lea motuʻa kuo hiki ki muʻá ke tataki kinautolu ʻi he kuohilí.” ʻOku tānaki mai ʻe he makasiní ko ha tokotaha fakatotolo lea fakaʻevalūsiō ʻokú ne aʻu ki heʻene ngaahi fakamulituku ʻaki ʻa e “fakamatala fakafika fakamahamahalo.”

Kae kehe, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e “lēkooti ʻo e ngaahi lea motuʻa kuo hiki ki muʻá.” Ko e hā ʻa e ngaahi lēkooti motuʻa ko ení pea ko e hā ʻoku nau fakaeʻa fekauʻaki mo e tupuʻanga ʻo e ngaahi lea ʻa e tangatá? ʻOku fakamatala ʻe he The New Encyclopædia Britannica: “Ko e ngaahi lēkooti ʻo e muʻaki lea kuo hikí, ʻa e lēkooti ʻe taha ʻo e ngaahi lea motuʻa kuo hiki ki muʻá ʻe malava ke maʻu ai ʻe he tangatá ʻa e ʻamanakí, ʻoku foki ia ki mui ʻo ʻikai laka hake ʻi he taʻu nai ʻe 4,000 pe 5,000.” Naʻe ʻilo mei fē ʻe he kau keli fakatotoló ʻa e ngaahi meʻa naʻa nau maʻu ki he “lēkooti ʻo e ngaahi lea motuʻa kuo hiki ki muʻá” ko ení? ʻI he talalo ʻo Mesopotēmiá—ko e tafaʻaki ia ʻo Saina ʻo e kuonga muʻá. b Ko ia ai, ko e ngaahi fakamoʻoni hā mai naʻe maʻú ʻoku faitatau ia pea mo e ngaahi moʻoniʻi meʻa naʻe fakamatalaʻi ʻi he Tohi Tapú.

LEA KEHEKEHE, FAKAKAUKAU KEHEKEHE

ʻOku pehē ʻe he fakamatala ʻa e Tohi Tapú ʻi Pēpelí, naʻe ʻai ai ʻe he ʻOtuá ke “veuveuki ʻenau lea ke ʻoua te nau feʻiloaki lea pe femahinoʻaki.” (Sēnesi 11:7) Ko hono olá, ko e kau ngāué naʻa “nau tuku ʻa e langa ʻo e kolo” ko Pēpelí pea nau movete he “fonua kotoa.” (Sēnesi 11:8, 9) Ko ia, naʻe ʻikai ke pehē ʻe he Tohi Tapú ia ko e ngaahi lea kotoa ʻi onopōní naʻe lava ke tupu mei ha “lea tuʻufonua” ʻe taha. ʻI hono kehé, ʻokú ne fakamatalaʻi ʻa e hā fakafokifā ʻo e ngaahi lea foʻou lahi kuo fakahokohoko kakató, ʻoku malava ʻe he lea taki taha ke fakahaaʻi ʻa e tuʻunga ʻo e ongoʻi mo e fakakaukau ʻa e tangatá pea ko e lea taki taha ʻoku kehe mo laulōtaha ia mei he ngaahi lea kehé.

Kae fēfē ʻa e ngaahi kulupu ʻo e leá ʻi he māmani ʻo e ʻahó ni? ʻOku nau makatuʻunga meimei tatau pe kehekehe? Ko ha faisaienisi mataotao ko Lera Boroditsky naʻá ne tohi: “ʻI he fekumi loloto ange ki he ngaahi lea ʻi he māmaní (lea ʻe 7,000 pe lahi ange, ko ha konga siʻi pē ʻo kinautolu kuo ʻanalaisó), pea ʻoku ʻasi hake ʻa e kehekehe taʻefaʻalaua mo taʻealafakamatalaʻi.” ʻIo, neongo ko e ngaahi lea mo e lea fakafeituʻu ʻo e faʻahinga ʻe taha ʻo e leá, hangē ko e lea faka-Kenitoní mo e lea faka-Hakka ʻi he fakatonga ʻo Siainá, ʻokú na meimei tatau nai, ʻokú na mātuʻaki kehe ʻaupito mei ha toe faʻahinga ʻe taha ʻo e leá, ko e lau ia ʻa e West Catalan pe Valencian ʻi Sipeiní.

ʻOku fakafuo ʻe he ngaahi leá ʻa e anga ʻo e fakakaukau ʻa e kakaí ki ha meʻa pea fakamatalaʻi ʻa e māmani takatakai ʻiate kinautolú—ʻa e lanu, lahi, feituʻu mo e  potu. Ko e fakatātaá, ʻi ha lea ʻe taha ʻe pehē ai ʻe ha taha, “ʻOku ʻi ai ʻa e kiʻi manu ʻi ho nima toʻomataʻú.” Ka ʻi ha toe lea ia ʻe taha ʻe pehē ai ʻe ha taha ia, “ʻOku ʻi ai ʻa e kiʻi manu ʻi ho nima tonga-hihifó.” Ko e ngaahi kehekehe peheé ʻe fakapuputuʻu ia hangē ko e laú. Tā neʻineʻi ke ʻilo ʻe he kau langa ʻo Pēpelí ʻoku faingataʻa ke toe hoko atu ʻenau langá.

NGŪNGŪ PE FAʻUNGA LEA MAHINO?

Naʻe fēfē ʻa e muʻaki lea ʻa e faʻahinga ʻo e tangatá? ʻOku fakamatala ʻa e Tohi Tapú ko e ʻuluaki tangatá, ʻa ʻĀtama, naʻe malava ke ne ʻuluaki leaʻaki ʻa e ngaahi lea foʻou ʻi he taimi naʻá ne fakahingoa kotoa ai ʻa e fanga manú mo e fanga manupuna ʻo e ʻataá. (Sēnesi 2:20) Naʻe toe faʻu foki ʻe ʻĀtama ha maau ke fakahaaʻi ʻaki ʻene ngaahi ongoʻi ki hono uaifí, pea naʻe fakamatalaʻi mahino ʻe ʻIvi ʻa e meʻa naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ʻe he ʻOtuá pea mo e ngaahi nunuʻa ʻo e talangataʻa kiate Iá. (Sēnesi 2:23; 3:1-3) Ko ia, ko e ʻuluaki leá naʻe malava ai ʻe he tangatá ke fetuʻutaki kakato pea fakamatalaʻi mahino lelei kinautolu.

Ko e puputuʻu ʻi he ngaahi lea ʻi Pēpelí naʻe taʻofi ai ʻa e malava ʻa e faʻahinga ʻo e tangatá ke fakatahaʻi ʻenau fakakaukaú mo e mālohi fakaesinó. Neongo ia, ko ʻenau lea foʻoú, hangē ko ʻenau muʻaki leá, naʻe ʻi ha faʻunga mahino. ʻI ha ngaahi senituli siʻi pē, naʻe langa ai ʻe he tangatá ha ngaahi kolo moʻumoʻua, fakatahatahaʻi ha kau tau mālohi, pea kau ʻi he fefakatauʻaki fakavahaʻapuleʻangá. (Sēnesi 13:12; 14:1-11; 37:25) Naʻe lava ke nau fai ha fakalakalaka pehē ʻo taʻengāueʻaki ha ngaahi foʻi lea lahi pe kalama? Fakatatau ki he Tohi Tapú, ko e muʻaki lea ʻa e tangatá pea mo e lea naʻe fuofua ngāueʻaki ʻi Pēpelí, naʻe ʻikai ko e ngūngū pe ngulungulu noaʻia, ka ko e ngaahi faʻunga lea mahino.

ʻOku poupouʻi ʻe he kau fakatotolo ʻi onopōní ʻa e fakamulituku ko ení. ʻOku pēhe ʻe he The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language: “Ko e anga fakafonua kotoa pē ʻa ia kuo fakatotoloʻí, ʻo tatau ai pē pe ʻoku faingofua nai ʻenau tuʻunga fakafonuá, ka ko e tukuʻau kakato ʻo e ngaahi leá ʻoku maʻu ai ha lea kuo fakahokohoko kakato fakataha mo ha faʻunga mahino ʻoku ala fakahoa atu ki he ngaahi puleʻanga ko ia ʻoku taku ʻoku ‘sivilaisé’.” ʻI he tuʻunga meimei tatau, ʻi heʻene tohi ko e The Language Instinct, ʻoku pehē ai ʻe he Palōfesa ʻo e ʻApiako Harvard, ko Steven Pinker: “ʻOku ʻikai ha meʻa ia ko ha lea ʻi he Kuonga Muʻá.”

KO E KAHAʻU ʻO E LEÁ

Hili hono vakaiʻi ʻa e kuonga mo e feituʻu ʻo e ngaahi lea motuʻa kuo hiki ki muʻá, ko e ngaahi faikehekehe tefito ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e ngaahi kulupu ʻo e leá, pea mo e tuʻunga mahino ʻo e ngaahi lea ʻo e kuonga muʻá, ko e hā ʻa e fakamulituku mohu ʻuhinga ʻe lava ke tau maʻu mei aí? ʻOku fakaʻosiʻaki ʻe he faʻahinga tokolahi ko e fakamatala ʻa e Tohi Tapú ki he meʻa naʻe hoko ʻi Pēpelí ko ha fakamatala falalaʻanga fakaʻaufuli ia.

ʻOku tala mai ʻe he Tohi Tapú kiate kitautolu naʻe veuveuki ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtuá ʻa e lea ʻa e kakai ʻi Pēpelí koeʻuhi ko ʻenau anga-tuʻu kiate iá. (Sēnesi 11:4-7) Kae kehe, naʻá ne talaʻofa te ne “omi ae lea maa ki he kakai, koeuhi ke nau ui kotoabe ki he huafa o Jihova, ke tauhi kiate ia i he uouagataha.” (Sēfanaia 3: 9, PM) Ko e “lea maa” ko ení, ko e moʻoni ia mei he Folofola ʻa e ʻOtuá, ʻokú ne tohoakiʻi fakatahataha ʻa e kakaí mei he māmani takatakai ʻo e ʻaho ní. ʻOku hā mahino ʻi he kahaʻú ʻe toe fakatahatahaʻi ai ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻa e faʻahinga ʻo e tangatá ʻaki hono ʻoange kiate kinautolu ʻa e lea pē ʻe taha, ʻo fakangata ai ʻa e veuveuki ʻa e lea ʻi Pēpelí.