| Cook Islands Maori |
Article Index for Cook Islands |
Website Links For Cook Islands |
Information AboutCook Islands Maori |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT COOK ISLANDS MAORI | |
| languages of new zealand | |
| languages of the cook islands | |
| tahitic languages | |
| polynesian languages | |
| austronesian languages | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
These Dialects (2) of the Cook Islands Maori are :
It is closely related to Tahitian and New Zealand Maori and there is a degree of mutual intelligibility with these two languages. Most Cook Islanders also call it ''Te reo Ipukarea'', literally "the language of the Ancestral Homeland". The language is regulated by the ''kopapa reo'' created in 2003. The Pukapukan Language is considered by scholars as a distinct language closely related with Samoan and the Language spoken on the three atolls of Tokelau . (1)Since 1915, English has been the only official language of the Cook Islands (2)In a sense of mutual intelligibility (3)Tongarevan is sometimes also considered as a disctinct language. WRITING SYSTEM AND PRONUNCIATION There is actually a debate about the standardization of the writing system. Although the usage of the macron (־)''te makaroni'', and the glottal (') is recommanded, most speakers do not use these two diacritics in their everyday writings. Consonants Vowels GRAMMAR As for most South Pacific languages, classical descriptions are generally based on the system used for indo-european languages, especialy concerning grammatical classes (nouns, verbs, adjectives, ...). Today linguists try to escape from this considering it as a form of glottocentrism, even if any perfect description is an utopia. Most examples are taken from ''Cook Islands Maori Dictionary'', by Jasper Buse with Raututi Taringa edited by Bruce Biggs and Rangi Moeka'a, Auckland, 1995. Personal deictics Singular
Ka 'aere au ki te 'āpi'i āpōpō : I'm going to school tomorrow ; Ka 'ārote au inana'i, no te ua rā, kua 'akakore au : I was going to do the ploughing yesterday, but gave it up because of the rain.
Kua kino iā koe tō mātou mōtokā : you damaged our car; Ko koe 'oki, te tangata ta te 'akavā e kimi nei : you are the person the police are looking for.
'Ea'a 'aia i 'aere mai ei : why did he/she come? Kāre aia i konei : he/she is not here Dual
'aere tāua : Let us go (you and I); Ko tō tāua taeake tērā ake : Here comes our friends (mine and yours)
Ka 'oki māua ma Taria ki te kāinga : Taria and I are going home; No māua te 'are : The house is ours
'Aere kōrua : you two go; Na kōrua teia puka : this book belongs to you two
Mei 'ea mai rāua ? : where the two of them been ?; Ko rāua ko Pā tei no'o ki te kāinga : He (or she) and Pa stayed back at home Plural
Ko'ai tā tātou e tiaki nei : Who are we waiting for ?; Kāre ā tātou kai toe : we have no more food
Ko mātou ma Tere mā i 'aere mai ei : We came with Tere and the others; Kua kite mai koe ia mātou : You saw us
E 'aere atu kōtou, ka āru atu au : you go on, and I 'll follow; Ko kōtou ko 'ai mā i aere ei ki te tautai ?: Who did you go fishing with ?
Kua pekapeka rātou ko Tere : they and Tere have quarrelled; Nō rātou te pupu māro'iro'i : they have the strongest team Aspectual marks
Tē manako nei au i te 'oki ki te 'are : I am thinking of going back to the house; Tē kata nei rātou : They are laughing; Kāre au e tanu nei i te pia : I'm not planting any arrowroot;
Kia vave mai !: be quick ! (don't be long!); Kia viviki mai! : be quick (don't dwaddle!); Kia manuia ! : good luck ! ; Kia rave ana koe i tēnā 'anga'anga : would you do that job; Kia tae mai ki te anga'anga ā te pōpongi Mōnitē : come to work on Monday morning; Teia te tātāpaka, kia kai koe : Here's the breadfruit pudding, eat up.
'ē 'eke koe ki raro : you get down; 'ē tū ki kō : stand over there
'Auraka rava koe e 'āmiri i teia niuniu ora, ka 'uti'uti 'ia koe : Don't on any account touch this live wire, you'll get shocked
Kāre nō te ua : It 'll not rain; Kāre a Tī tuatua : Tī doesn't have anything to say.
E 'aere ana koe ki te 'ura : Do you go to the dance?: E no'o ana 'aia ki Nikao i tē reira tuātau : he used to live in Nikao at that time
Ka 'īmene 'a Mere ākonei ite pō : Mary is going to sing later on tonight; Kua kite au ē ka riri a Tere : I know (or knew) that Tere will (or would) be angry
Kua kite mai koe ia mātou : You saw us; Kua meitaki koe ? : Are you better now; Kua oti te tārekareka : the match is over now Possessives Like most Polynesian languages (Tahitian, New Zealand Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, …), Cook Islands Maori has two categories of possessives, the ā and ō. Generally the ā category is used when the possessor has, or had, control of the relationship, is superior or dominant to what is owned or when the possession is considered as alienable. The ō category is used when the possessor has, or had, no control over the relationship, is subordinate or inferior to what is owned or when the possession is considered as inalienable. The following list indicates the types of things in the different categories
- Movable property, instruments, - Food and drink, - Husband, wife, children, girlfriend, boyfriend, - Animals and pets, - People in an inferior position Te puaka ā tērā vaine : the pig belonging to that woman; ā Tere tamariki : Tere's children; Kāre ā Tupe mā ika i napō : Tupe and the rest didn't get any fish last night Tāku ; Tā'au ; Tāna ; Tā tāua ; Tā māua…. : my, mine ; your, yours ; his, her, hers, our ours… Ko tāku vaine teia : This is my wife; Ko tāna tāne tera : That's her husband; Tā kotou 'apinga : your possession(s); Tā Tare 'apinga : Tera possession(s);
- Parts of anything - Feelings - Buildings and transport - Clothes - Parents or other relatives (not husband, wife, children…) - Superiors Te 'are ō Tere : The house belonging to Tere; ō Tere pare : Tere's hat; Kāre ō Tina no'o anga e no'o ei : Tina hasn't got anywhere to sit; Tōku ; Tō'ou ; Tōna ; Tō tāua ; Tō māua…: my, mine ; your, yours ; his, her, hers ; our, ours … Ko tōku 'are teia : This is my house; I tōku manako, kā tika tāna : In my opinion, he'll be right; Teia tōku, tērā tō'ou : This is mine here, that's yours over there VOCABULARY Kia orāna or kia ora ana : hello, Kia manuia : bye Pē'ea koe : How are you ? Meitaki (ma'ata) : I'm (very) fine, Meitaki ! : thank you ! Ko 'ai koe ?/ ko'ai to'ou ingoa ? : who are you ? /What's your name ? Ko … au ? ko … toku ingoa : I'm …, / my name is… Ka kite : see you āpōpō: tomorrow Inana'i : yesterday 'ārote : plough Ua : rain, rainy 'akakore : abolish, give up Mōtokā : car Kino : bad (general term), hurt, out of order, damaged Kimi : look for Kāre : not, nothing Puaka : pig Tika : permissible, allowable, correct 'apinga : possession, wealth tamariki : children; 'āngai tamariki : to adopt children Papa'ā : white man, European 'Akarongo : hear, listen Taeake : friend or relative of the same generation (brother, sister, cousin either sex speaking, but not in laws. Tama : a polite and friendly form of address. 'ē tamamā : my dear friend Kāinga : home, homestead, land around the house, field, property Ake : a little distance away, a little time away 'ea : where..;? ; mei 'ea : from where ? Tiaki : wait for, guard, keep Ma : with, and Kite : see, know Aru : go with, accompany, follow, pursue Atu : away from the speaker. 'aere atu : to go away Mai : movement towards the speaker. 'aere mai : to come (by ext. welcome) Tautai : to fish Pekapeka : quarrel, dispute Pupu : group of people, team Māro'iro'i : strong, healthy. Manako maro'iro'i : strong minded Manako : Think, mind, idea Pia : Polynesian arrowroot Kata : laugh at; laughter; kata 'āviri : ridicule, laugh sneeringly, mockery Tanu : to plant, cultivate land 'anga'anga : work, job Pōpongi : morning Tātāpaka : a kind of breadfruit pudding 'ura : dance, to dance Tuātau : time, period, season ; ē tuātau 'ua atu : for ever 'īmene : to sing, song Riri : be angry with (ki) Tārekareka : entertain, amuse, match, game, play game EXTERNAL LINKS
DICTIONARIES AND LEARNING METHOD AND BOOKS
|