From Bangka to Wa’a, How the Word for “Boat” Evolved in Oceania
Painting by John LaFarge showing girls carrying a va'a, Samoa, (1891 painting).
From Bangka to Wa’a,
How the Word for “Boat” Evolved in Oceania
The theory of “Out of Taiwan” is proven by the evidences of linguistics, archaeology, genetics and ethnology. Around 5,000 years ago, before people had made the decision to depart Taiwan and to explore the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean, they might already have had the skills of sea navigation, that included the techniques and the vessels. From the goods they put on the board, we can see that the navigation was well-planned and prepared. We can see from there in AD 900 the ancestors of Hawaiian brought 24 useful plants on their boat to the new frontiers to which they arrived. (Canoe Plant List)
The vessels they used might be efficient enough for a long distance navigation and be big enough to hold sufficient supplies and passengers. Such a vessel was called “Bangka” in Taiwan and neighbouring regions as Philippine and Indonesia. Then become “Vaka” in Tonga, Cook Islands and Rapanui. Then “Va’a” in Samoa and Tahiti. Even further “Waka” in New Zealand, “Wa’a” in Hawaii and “Wangga” in Fiji. The changing of “Bangka” to “Wa’a” was not so abrupt, it had gradually followed the routes of their migration.
As the name of Bangka did not change abruptly during its distribution in the Pacific, the appearance of Bangka (the vessel) also remained almost unchanged in those Pacific islands. The Bangka is a double-hull vessel capable of cross-ocean navigation. The capability of the Bangka can be seen even today. In Hawaii in 1976, a double-hull boat called “Hōkūleʻa” built in the traditional method had embarked on her long-distance navigations using only techniques from their ancestors. Up to now she has already completed the circumference voyage that can possibly serve as proof of the capability of Bangka around 5,000 years ago.
In the European languages there are also some instances similar to Bangka used to name the boat. As follows:
“Barco” in Galician, Portuguese and Spanish “Barca” in Italian and Romanian “Várka” in Geek “Varkë” in Albanian
All these languages are used by the inhabitants of seashore. Is it a coincidence or a meaningful discovery? However if we consider the date and capability of navigation in Austronesian people, then we can get closer to the facts that happened thousand years ago.
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