NEʼE hoko moʼoni koa ia te hisitolia ʼaia? Neʼe kamata palalau koa ia te hahaʼi ʼi te ʼu lea kehekehe ʼi te moʼi temi pe ʼe tahi ohage ko tona fakamatala ʼi te Tohi-Tapu? Ko ʼihi ʼe natou vaʼi ia te faʼahiga fakamatala ʼi te Tohi-Tapu ia te kamataʼaga ʼo te ʼu lea pea mo tona mafola. Neʼe ui fenei e te tagata faitohi ko Voltaire: “Ko te hisitolia ʼo te Tule ʼo Papele, ʼe ko he hisitolia maʼa te hahaʼi vavale.” Maʼia mo te tagata takitaki lotu Sutea, neʼe ina ui ko te hisitolia ʼaia ʼe ko he hisitolia maʼa te kiʼi kau tamaliki.

He ko ʼe ʼe mole tui te hahaʼi ki te hisitolia ʼo te tule ʼo Papele? He ʼe mole alu tahi mo te ʼu fakamahino ʼa ʼihi ʼo ʼuhiga mo te haʼuʼaga ʼo te ʼu lea. Ohage la, ko ʼihi kau popoto ʼe natou ui neʼe mole ha fakafuanoa ia te ʼu lea, kaʼe ʼe haʼu fuli mai te lea ʼe tahi. Ko ʼihi ʼe natou ui neʼe tuputupu ia te ʼu lea ʼaki te alu ʼo te temi. Ko ʼihi neʼe natou ui, neʼe mafola ia te ʼu lea ʼo kamata ʼaki te faʼahiga tagi ʼo te leʼo pea ki muli age neʼe liliu leva ko te ʼu lea neʼe palalauʼi. ʼAki te kehekehe ʼo te ʼu fakamahino ʼaia, tokolahi neʼe natou manatu tahi mo te tagata poto ko W. T. Fitch, ʼae neʼe ina tohi fenei ʼi tana tohi (The Evolution of Language): “ ʼE mole feala ke tou iloʼi ia te moʼoni ʼo ʼuhiga mo te haʼuʼaga ʼo te ʼu lea.”

Kotea ʼae neʼe maʼu e te kau alekeolosia mo te kau fekumi ʼo ʼuhiga mo te haʼuʼaga pea mo te mafola ʼo te ʼu lea? ʼE fakamoʼoni koa ia te ʼu meʼa ʼae neʼe natou maʼu ki te ʼu tala manatu ʼa te hahaʼi? ʼE alu tahi koa ʼanatou fekumi mo te fakamatala ʼo ʼuhiga mo te tule ʼo Papele? ʼUluaki, tou toe vakaʼi ia te hisitolia ʼi te Tohi-Tapu.

NEʼE HOKO ʼIFEA? ʼI TE TEMI FEA?

ʼE fakamatala ʼi te Tohi-Tapu neʼe hoko te veuki pea mo te mavetevete ʼa te hahaʼi “i te fenua ko  Sinea,” ʼae neʼe higoa ki muli age ko Papilone. (Senesi 11:2) Ko ʼanafea ʼae neʼe hoko ai te faʼahi ʼaia? ʼE ui ʼi te Tohi-Tapu, “nee mavetevete leva te kele” ʼi te temi ʼo Peleke, ʼae neʼe tupu ʼi te ʼu taʼu ʼe 250 ʼi muʼa ʼo te tupu ʼo Apalahamo. Koia, neʼe hoko ia te aluʼaga ʼo te hisitolia ʼo te tule ʼo Papele kua hili ki ai taʼu ʼe 4 200 tupu.—Senesi 10:25; 11:18-26.

Ko ʼihi hahaʼi fekumi ʼe natou ui ʼe haʼu ia te ʼu lea fuli ʼae ʼe tou maʼu ʼi te temi nei mai te lea pe ʼe tahi. ʼE natou ui ko te lea ʼaia ʼae neʼe kamata mai ai te ʼu lea fuli, kua hili ki ai taʼu ʼe 100 000 tupu. a Ko ʼihi ʼe natou ui ko te ʼu lea fuli ʼae ʼe tou maʼu ʼe haʼu mai te ʼu lea ʼae neʼe palalauʼi kua hili ki ai taʼu ʼe 6 000. ʼE lava feafeaʼi kia natou ʼae ʼe natou sivi te ʼu lea hanatou toe faʼufaʼu ia te ʼu lea ʼae ʼe mole kei palalauʼi? Neʼe tohi fenei ʼi te sulunale (The Economist): “ ʼE ko he faʼahi ʼe faigataʼa. ʼO kehekehe ia mo te kau alekeolosia, ʼe mole maʼu e te kau tagata sivi lea he ʼu meʼa neʼe puke moʼo fakamoʼoni ʼaki neʼe feia tona faʼahiga palalauʼi.” Pea ʼe toe ui fenei ʼi te sulunale, neʼe fai ki muli age e te tagata ʼe ina sivi te ʼu lea ia he ʼu fakamahino kaʼe ʼe mole hona fakatafitoʼaga.

Kaʼe ʼe ʼi ai te ʼu fakamoʼoni ʼo te ʼu tohi ʼo te temi muʼa. Kotea ʼae ʼe ina fakaha ʼo ʼuhiga mo te haʼuʼaga ʼo te ʼu lea? ʼE fakamahino fenei ʼi te tikisionalio (The New Encyclopædia Britannica): “Ko te ʼuluaki lea ʼae neʼe tohi ʼe kua taʼu 4 000 peʼe 5 000 tupu ia tona kua tohi.” Neʼe maʼu ʼifea e te kau alekeolosia ia te ʼu lea ʼaia neʼe kua tohi? ʼI te kolo ʼafeā ko Sinea, ʼi te potu saute ʼo Mesopotamia. b ʼE fakamoʼoni ia te ʼu meʼa ʼae neʼe natou maʼu ki te fakamatala ʼi te Tohi-Tapu.

TE ʼU LEA MO TE ʼU FAʼAHIGA MANATU KEHEKEHE

ʼE fakamatala ʼi te Tohi-Tapu, ʼi Papele, ko te ʼAtua neʼe ina “veuki ai tanatou palalau, ke aua naa natou toe felogoi ia natou.” (Senesi 11:7) Hili ia, “nee natou fakagata leva i ai te fakatuu o te kolo” ʼo Papele pea neʼe natou mavetevete ai “i oluga o te kele katoa.” (Senesi 11:8, 9) Kaʼe ʼe mole ui ʼi te Tohi-Tapu, ʼe haʼu ia te ʼu lea fuli ʼo te temi nei mai he lea pe ʼe tahi. Kaʼe ʼe ina fakamahino, neʼe ha fakapunamaʼuli ia te ʼu tuʼuga lea, pea neʼe feala pe ʼaki te ʼu lea kehekehe ʼaia ke fakaha ai e te hahaʼi te ʼu meʼa ʼae ʼe natou logoʼi pea mo ʼanatou faʼahiga manatu, ʼo natou kehekehe fuli ai.

Kaʼe ʼe feafeaʼi ia te ʼu lea ʼi te temi nei? ʼE natou kehekehe fuli koa peʼe natou teitei tatau? Neʼe tohi fenei e Lera Boroditsky, ko he fafine ʼe ina sivi te fealagia ʼae ki te tagata ke ina ako “ ʼI tanatou vakavakaʼi ʼihi lea ʼi te malamanei katoa (neʼe vakavakaʼi pe ʼihi lea ʼi te ʼu lea ʼae ʼe 7 000 tupu), neʼe fakatokagaʼi e te hahaʼi ʼae ʼe natou sivi te ʼu lea ia te ʼu faʼahi ʼe kehekehe ai te ʼu lea.” Koia, ʼe feala ke tatau he ʼu lea, ohage la ko te lea Fakaʼuvea pea mo te lea Fakatoga, ʼe nā teitei tatau, kaʼe ʼe nā kehekehe ia mo te lea Fakaitalia pea mo te lea Fakasepania.

ʼE fetogi e te lea ia te ʼu faʼahiga manatu ʼa te hahaʼi pea mo tanatou faʼahiga sio ki te maʼuli.  Ohage la, ʼi he lea ʼe feala ke ui e he tahi: “ ʼE ʼi ai te kiʼi manu ʼi tou nima mataʼu.” Kaʼe ʼi he tahi age lea: “ ʼE ʼi ai te kiʼi manu ʼi tou nima ʼo te potu saute uesite.” Ko tona faʼahiga kehekehe ʼaia ʼe mole feala ke tou femahinoʼaki ai. Ko te tupuʼaga la ʼaia ʼo te mole feala ki te kau gaue ʼo te tule ʼo Papele ke natou hoko atu ia te gaue.

NEʼE KO HE FAʼAHIGA TAGI ʼO TE LEʼO PEʼE NEʼE KO HE LEA NEʼE PALALAUʼI?

Neʼe feafeaʼi ia te ʼuluaki lea ʼae neʼe palalauʼi e te tagata? ʼE fakamatala ʼi te Tohi-Tapu, neʼe feala ki te ʼuluaki tagata, ia Atama, ke ina faʼufaʼu he ʼu kupu foʼou ʼi te temi ʼae neʼe ina fakahigoaʼi ai ia te ʼu manu pea mo te ʼu manulele. (Senesi 2:20) Neʼe toe fai e Atama ia te ʼu palalau fakatuketuke ki tona ʼohoana pea neʼe ina fakaha lelei ia te faʼahi ʼae neʼe tapuʼi age e te ʼAtua pea mo te ʼu fua kovi mo kapau ʼe talagataʼa kia te Ia. (Senesi 2:23; 3:1-3; 37:25) ʼAki te ʼuluaki lea, neʼe feala ai ki te hahaʼi ke natou felogoʼi pea mo natou faʼufaʼu ʼihi atu kupu foʼou.

ʼAki te veuki ʼo te lea ʼi Papele, neʼe mole feala ai ki te tagata ke ina fakahoko ni gaue lalahi. Kaʼe ohage pe ko te ʼuluaki lea, neʼe feala pe ʼaki te ʼu lea foʼou ke natou felogoʼi. ʼAki te temi, neʼe laga e te tagata ia te ʼu kolo neʼe nofoʼi e he toe hahaʼi kauga malie, neʼe natou fakatuʼutuʼu te ʼu foʼi tau malohi pea neʼe natou faikoloa ʼi te malamanei katoa. (Senesi 13:12; 14:1-11) Neʼe feala koa ke natou fakahoko ia te ʼu faʼahi ʼaia mo ka na pau la neʼe mole natou femahinoʼaki ʼi he lea? Ohage ko tona fakaha ʼi te Tohi-Tapu, ko te ʼuluaki lea pea mo te ʼu lea foʼou ʼi Papele neʼe mole ko he faʼahiga tagi ʼo te leʼo kaʼe neʼe ko te ʼu lea neʼe palalauʼi.

ʼE fakamoʼoni ki ai te ʼu fekumi ʼo te temi nei. ʼE ui fenei ʼi te tohi (The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language): “Ko te ʼu aga ʼi fenua fuli ʼae neʼe sivi, maʼia mo ʼae kua ʼafeā, ʼe natou takitahi mo tana lea ʼe feala ke palalauʼi, ohage pe ko te ʼu lea ʼo te ʼu fenua ʼae kua lakalaka ki muʼa.” ʼO toe feia aipe, neʼe ui fenei e te tagata faiako ʼi te Univelesite ʼo Harvard ko Steven Pinker, ʼi tana tohi (The Language Instinct): “ ʼE mole he lea ʼe masiva.”

TE LEA ʼI TE KA HAʼU

ʼI takotou ʼosi vakaʼi ia te fakamoʼoni ʼo te ʼu lea ʼae kua ʼafeā ʼosi, mo te kehekehe ʼo te ʼu lea pea mo te iloʼi ʼae ʼe feala ke palalauʼi ia te ʼu lea fuli, kotea la takotou manatu? Tokolahi ʼe natou manatu ʼe feala ke tou tui ki te hisitolia Fakatohi-tapu ʼo te tule ʼo Papele.

ʼE fakaha ʼi te Tohi-Tapu, neʼe veuki e Sehova ʼAtua ia te lea ʼa te hahaʼi ʼuhi ko tanatou talagataʼa kia te ia. (Senesi 11:4-7) Kaʼe neʼe ina fakapapau, ʼe ina “foaki anai ki te hahai ni laugutu maa, o tupu ke natou fetapa fuli ki te huafa o [Sehova], pea ke natou tauhi kia ia i he loto e tahi.” (Sofoni 3:9) Ko te “laugutu maa” peʼe ko te lea maʼa ʼaia, ʼe ko te moʼoni ʼae ʼe haʼu mai te Folafola ʼa te ʼAtua, pea ʼe ina fakatahiʼi ia ʼaho nei ia he hahaʼi ʼi te malamanei katoa. ʼE fakatahiʼi anai ʼi te ka haʼu e te ʼAtua ia te hahaʼi ʼaki he lea pe ʼe tahi, pea ʼe ina molehi anai ia te veuki ʼae neʼe hoko ʼi Papele.