gagana

Gagana is a term used in several Pacific languages, most prominently in Samoan, where it means language or speech. In everyday Samoan, gagana functions as the general word for language, and the compound form Gagana Samoa is commonly used to refer to the Samoan language itself. The term reflects how language is talked about and taught within Samoan communities, including educational materials and conversations about linguistic identity.

In a broader linguistic context, gagana appears as part of descriptions of language in the Samoan-speaking world. It is sometimes used in academic or comparative discussions to indicate language in a generic sense, or to specify the Samoan language when distinguishing it from other languages spoken in the surrounding region. The usage illustrates the close relationship between language and cultural identity in Samoa and among Samoan-speaking communities abroad.

Gagana is not the name of a single, standalone subject; rather, it is a common noun meaning language. In addition to its primary linguistic meaning, gagana can occasionally appear as a personal name or place name in some communities, though such uses are incidental and not central to its function as a term for language.