Tasi means "sea"; Tasi means "noble"
Jan. 16th, 2014 11:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asakiyumeI know the people at the post office; I'm there a lot. Back when Little Springtime first was in Japan (she's back there again--let's have no earthquake-tsunami-nuclear disasters this time, please, Seafather and Lady) I found out that one of the women who works there has a daughter who lives in Japan. That woman--Tasi--is Samoan.
The other day when I was there, I had Timor-Leste on the mind, and seeing Tasi reminded me that in Tetun, tasi means sea--so I told her so. She smiled, and said, "and in my language it means 'noble.' Aliitasi, 'noble one.'"
So Tasi is just a nickname. Aliitasi is the complete name. It sounded so beautiful when she said it--here, I found it online: Aliitasi.
"'Noble one.' So every time someone says your name, they're respecting you," I said.
"Suuure they are," she said, skeptically.
But I think, yes. Even though they don't know it, even if they're acting disrespectful. Noble One. Even here and now, names have power.
The other day when I was there, I had Timor-Leste on the mind, and seeing Tasi reminded me that in Tetun, tasi means sea--so I told her so. She smiled, and said, "and in my language it means 'noble.' Aliitasi, 'noble one.'"
So Tasi is just a nickname. Aliitasi is the complete name. It sounded so beautiful when she said it--here, I found it online: Aliitasi.
"'Noble one.' So every time someone says your name, they're respecting you," I said.
"Suuure they are," she said, skeptically.
But I think, yes. Even though they don't know it, even if they're acting disrespectful. Noble One. Even here and now, names have power.
