“ ‘IKANI SELUPE…MAHALO ‘OKU SI’I HO’O ‘ILÓ, PE ‘OKU KE KEI SI’I.
Kātaki ‘oua e faka’aonga’i ‘a e fo’i lea ko e “kou” ‘o kapau ‘oku ke lea faka’apa’apa. ‘I he lea faka-Tongá, ko e fo’i lea kapekape ia. ‘Oku tohi ‘i he Tonga Dictionary: English-Tonga; Tonga-English, fa’u ‘a Dr. Churchward, tokoni ki ai ‘a Feleti Vi (1959; reprinted 2015, Government of Tonga).
Tapu mo e ha’ofangá ni ka teu lau tonu’i atu ‘a e ‘uhinga totonu ‘o e fo’i lea ko e “kou” kuo lahi hono faka-‘aonga’i ‘e he kau taki lotu, mo e Pule’angá; ka ko e fo’i lea kapekape: “kou, a.v.i., uncircumcised (ta’e tefe). More polite than ta’e kamu, and ta’e kaukau. Cp. kotá”.
Me’a pangó, ‘oku si’aki ke kau ia ‘i he tikisinali Ko e Tala’uhinga ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga (2010). Ka ‘oku nau fakakau ‘a e ngaahi lea Tonga motu’a ia ’o hangē ko e fo’i lea ko e “‘ohoana”: Mali pe ko e hoa (husband, wife). Kuo fetongi ‘a e fo’i leá ni ‘aki ‘a e “mali” mei he Ingilisi ko e “marry”. Ka ‘i he tikisinali ‘a Toki Ukamea (Tonga Islands, by William Mariner, 1819), ko e fo’i lea Tonga ‘i he taimi ko iá ko e “‘ohana”, ‘a ia ‘oku kei faka-‘aonga’i ‘i he lea faka-Haua’í ‘a hono ui honau fāmilí ko e “‘ohana”. ”