Quality Distinctions
in Polynesia:
Language, Mind,
and Socio-Centrism.

The primary goal of this research is to investigate the linguistic expressions and the mental organization of quality distinctions in Polynesia, specifically in three Polynesian languages and cultures representing three major branches of the Polynesian language family: East Futunan, Tahitian, and Tongan. We hypothesize that the morphological complexity that characterizes a considerable number of adjectives that express quality distinctions is circumscribed to specific knowledge domains. The discovery of such domains would highlight salient cultural choices. In addition, we also hypothesize that Polynesian speakers focus on the primary qualities of objects when linguistically expressing quality distinctions. These qualities, such as extension, size, and motion, do not depend on ego’s subjective perception, they are universal, objective by nature (and available to the collective). Secondary quality distinctions, typically appearances, are dependent on ego’s construction (perception/conception).

The types of domains addressed by morphological complexification and the presence of a focus on primary qualities of Objects would provide evidence for ‘radiality’ in organizing and expressing quality distinctions. Radiality is a foundational cultural model (Bennardo, 2009), a minimal organization of knowledge in several domains, that represents a focus on other-than-ego, and it is considered to be at the root of socio-centrism. We hypothesize that radiality participates in the choices made before the use of quality descriptors. If our hypotheses are confirmed, our findings would support previous research identifying the centrality of socio-centrism in Polynesian languages, cultures, and cognition.

An NEH grant would support collaborative research by humanities scholars who are experts in Polynesian languages and cultures, including a linguistic anthropologist and two linguists. These three scholars contribute their respective expertise in three languages and cultures in order to address a pressing need to obtain insights into a salient Polynesian linguistic and mental posture. The results of the research are used to complete a book in which newly discovered characteristics of Polynesian languages point toward a mental and social stance, i.e., radiality and socio-centrism.

In the book, we first review the existing research about the expression of quality distinctions in Polynesian languages and highlight the need for our investigation. Second, we introduce the major features of Cultural Model Theory and how it informs our research. Third, we extensively illustrate our methodology, data collection and analysis, and point out how it is theoretically motivated. Fourth, we present our results organized according to the three Polynesian languages studied. Fifth, we present the results about three Indo-European languages (English, French, and Italian) that are used in a comparative fashion to support our findings about Polynesian languages. Finally, we discuss the consequences of these results for claims of socio-centrism in Polynesian cultures.

The research results and the book contribute substantially to three areas of investigation: 1. Oceanic linguistic, they expand our knowledge about common linguistic strategies in Polynesian languages when expressing quality distinctions; 2. Anthropology (linguistic and cognitive), psychology (cognitive and cultural), and sociology, they provide support for a close relationship between ways of mentally representing quality distinctions and Polynesian socio-centrism; 3. Cultural model theory, they refine our knowledge about the role cultural models play in contributing to human linguistic behavior.

The successful completion of this project, including the writing of the book, can foster a renewed interest in research on quality distinctions in Polynesian languages. The presence of a foundational cultural model across Polynesian ontological primes (Westerhoff, 2005) supports the fundamental role that space plays in the construction of human cognition. The discovery of a large ontological distribution of radiality in Polynesia may be applied to educational settings. In fact, this linguistic and mental characteristic, since it contrasts with Indo-European languages, may be used to facilitate learning experiences, if taken into consideration when planning and implementing school curricula and practices. Finally, students and members of the communities investigated contribute significantly at various stages of the research project.