lafo

Esperanto

Etymology

From Italian lava. The "v" was changed to "f" to differentiate from lavi (“to wash”). Compare French lave, German Lava, Polish lawa, Russian лава (lava).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlafo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -afo
• Syllabification: la‧fo

Noun

lafo (accusative singular lafon, plural lafoj, accusative plural lafojn)

1. (volcanology) lava

Derived terms

• lafofluaĵo (“lava flow”)

Samoan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *lafo (“ceremonial presentation of wealth”). Cognate with Tongan lafo (“to present fine mats when chief dies”) and Fijian ilavo (“money”).

Verb

lafo

1. to throw
2. to present, to contribute, to donate

Derived terms

• lāfoga

Noun

lafo

1. cloth used as gratuity for a talking chief

References

• Milner, G.B. (1993), Samoan Dictionary, Auckland: Polynesian Press, →ISBN, page 93

Tongan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *lafo (“throwing game with discs”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *lambəg, *lambəʀ (“to throw”). Cognate with Samoan lafoga and Fijian lavo, ilavo.

Noun

lafo

1. a traditional game involving throwing of discs on a mat

References

• Fehoko, Edmond (December 2021), “Exploring the progression from games to gambling in Tonga”, in Journal of the Polynesian Society, volume 130, number 4, →DOI, pages 315–7