[An-lang] Tau ti ne (song)

[Daniel Long]

I am trying to find out some information about a "song" that is sung on the
Bonin Islands.   The islanders do not know what language it is, nor what the
lyrics mean.  It is really just a chant and is sung to babies to get them to
stop crying, while manipulating their arms and legs as in a dance.

The chant goes:
  Tau ti ne
  Tau ti ne
  Tau teki
  Tau mai
  Tau ti ne

The tune is: do mi mi (rest) do mi mi(rest) do mi-mi do mi, do mi mi.

Numerous Pacific languages are known to have been spoken on the islands,
including Hawaiian, Tahitian, North Marquesan, Rotuman, Chamorran,
Carolinian, Kiribati, Ponapean, Palauan, Buka (Halia) (sorry for mixing
nouns and adjective; I don't the adjectival forms of some of these.)  All of
these languages were spoken by a mother or "nanny" who could have
transmitted the chant.

I would appreciate any information.  Thanks for your help.

Danny Long

--
Daniel Long, Associate Professor     *** NEW TEL*** +81-426-77-2206
Japanese Language and Literature Dept.         fax  +81-426-77-2140
Tokyo Metropolitan University
1-1 Minami Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo  192-0397 Japan
mailto:dlong at bcomp.metro-u.ac.jp
http://nihongo.human.metro-u.ac.jp/long/


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