« Nana sacs plastiques »

Abstract This article explores the French overseas territory of French Polynesia, specifically the island of Tahiti and its capital, Pape‘ete. Through a qualitative analysis of the LL, it is argued that the visibility of Tahitian exceeds the domains typically associated with French regional languages. Following a brief contextualization of the territory and its languages, the themes of centre-periphery dynamics, environmental discourse, public health discourse, and linguistic commodification are discussed. These are cross-examined with various signs in the LL which demonstrate that, in addition to its commodification for visitors, Tahitian plays an important and multifarious role in the everyday lives of local people. The article further argues that Tahitian occupies different types of space that are not traditionally associated with peripheral languages. Concurrently, this calls for a re-evaluation of Tahitian — and, by extension, of Tahiti and French Polynesia at large — as peripheral to mainland France.