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The Cook Islands Maori language, also called Māori Kūki 'Āirani, became an official language of the Cook Islands in 2003 Since 1915, English has been the only official language of the Cook Islands. According to Te Reo Maori Act, Maori:
- (a) means the Maori language (including its various dialects) as spoken or written in any island of the Cook Islands; and
- (b) Is deemed to include Pukapukan as spoken or written in Pukapuka; and
- (c) Includes Maori that conforms to the national standard for Maori approved by Kopapa Reo; (see external link).
These dialectsIn a sense of mutual intelligibility of the Cook Islands Maori are :
- Rakahanga-Manihiki dialect;
- Tongareva dialect (Penrhyn)Tongarevan is sometimes also considered as a distinct language.;
- the Ngaputoru dialects of Atiu, Mitiaro and Mauke;
- Aitutaki dialect;
- Rarotonga dialect; and
- Mangaia dialect.
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.
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 recommended, most speakers do not use these two diacritics in everyday writing.
Consonants
Vowels
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Grammar
As for most South Pacific languages, classical descriptions are generally based on the system used for Indo-European languages, especially concerning grammatical classes. Today linguists try to avoid it, considering it a form of Glottocentrism, even if any perfect description is adequate. Most of these 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- Au : I, me
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.
- Koe : you
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.
- 'Aia : he, she
'Ea'a 'aia i 'aere mai ei : why did he/she come? Kāre aia i konei : he/she is not here
Dual
- Tāua : we two, us two (you and I)
'aere tāua : Let us go (you and I); Ko tō tāua taeake tērā ake : Here comes our friends (mine and yours)
- Māua : we two, us two (he/she and I)
Ka 'oki māua ma Taria ki te kāinga : Taria and I are going home; No māua te 'are : The house is ours
- Kōrua : you two
'Aere kōrua : you two go; Na kōrua teia puka : this book belongs to you two
- Rāua : they, them (the two of them)
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
- Tātou : We, us (you -2 or more- and I)
Ko'ai tā tātou e tiaki nei : Who are we waiting for ?; Kāre ā tātou kai toe : we have no more food
- Mātou : we, us (they and I)
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
- Kōtou : (all of you)
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 ?
- Rātou : they, them (more than two)
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… nei : present continuous
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 : Mildly imperative or exhortatory, expressing a desire, a wish rather than a strong command.
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 : Imperative, order
'ē 'eke koe ki raro : you get down; 'ē tū ki kō : stand over there
- 'Auraka : interdiction, don't
'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 : indicate the negation, not, nothing, nowhere
Kāre nō te ua : It 'll not rain; Kāre a Tī tuatua : Tī doesn't have anything to say.
- e… ana : habitual action or state
- Ka : Refers prospectively to the commencement of an action or state. Often translatable by and English future tense or "going to" construction
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 : translatable by an English simple past or a present tense (with adjectives)
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
- ā is used in speaking of
- 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);
- ō is used in speaking of
- 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
Dialectology
If most words of the various dialects of Cook Islands Maori are identical, there are few variations (to complete)
| Rarotonga | Aitutaki | Mangaia | Ngāputoru | Manihiki | Tongareva | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tuatua | 'autara | taratara | speak, speech | |||
| kūmara | kū'ara | kū'ara | sweet patatoes | |||
| kāre/kore | kā'ore | ‘āore | kare | no, not | ||
| tātā | kiriti | tātā | write | |||
| 'ura | koni | 'ura | 'ingo | dance | ||
| 'akaipoipo | 'akaipoipo | 'ā'āipoipo | 'akaipoipo | fakaipoipo | weddding | |
| 'īkoke | koroio | rakiki | thin | |||
| 'are | 'are | 'are | 'are | fare | hare | house |
| ma'ata | 'atupaka | ngao | big |
Notes
See also
Common phrases in Cook Islands Maori
External links
- Te Reo Maori Act 2003
- SBS Cook Islands Maori Radio Program. Updated each week
- http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org/dictionaries.asp
- http://www.cookislands.com/index.html?Mainframe_Dictionary.html
- Cook Islands Ministry of Cultural Development
- Te Reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani i roto i te Kurakarāma o Aotearoa (Cook Islands Maori in the New Zealand Curriculum)
Dictionaries, learning methods and books in Cook Islands Maori
- Cook Islands Maori Dictionary, by Jasper Buse with Raututi Taringa, edited by Bruce Biggs and Rangi Moeka'a, Auckland, 1995.
- A dictionary of the Maori Language of Rarotonga, Manuscript by Stephen Savage, Suva : IPS, USP in association with the Ministry of Education of the Cook Islands, 1983.
- Kai Korero : Cook Islands Maori Language Coursebook, Tai Carpentier and Clive Beaumont, Pasifika Press, 1995. (A useful learning Method with oral skills cassette)
- Cook Islands Cook Book by Taiora Matenga-Smith. Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies.
- Maori Lessons for the Cook Islands, by Taira Rere. Wellington, Islands Educational Division, Department of Education, 1960.
- Conversational Maori, Rarotongan Language, by Taira Rere. Rarotonga, Government Printer. 1961.
- Some Maori Lessons, by Taira Rere. Rarotonga. Curriculum Production Unit, Department of Education. 1976.
- More Maori Lessons, by Taira Rere. Suva, University of the South Pacific.1976
- Maori Spelling: Notes for Teachers, by Taira Rere. Rarotonga: Curriculum Production Unit, Education Department.1977.
- Traditions and Some Words of the Language of Danger or Pukapuka Island. Journal of the Polynesian Society 13:173-176.1904.
- Collection of Articles on Rarotonga Language, by Jasper Buse. London: University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies. 1963.
- Manihikian Traditional Narratives: In English and Manihikian: Stories of the Cook Islands (Na fakahiti o Manihiki). Papatoetoe, New Zealand: Te Ropu Kahurangi.1988
- Te korero o Aitutaki, na te Are Korero o Aitutaki, Ministry of Culutral Development, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. 1992
- Atiu nui Maruarua : E au tua ta'ito, Vainerere Tangatapoto et al. University of South Pacific, Suva 1984. (in Maori and Englsih)
- Learning Rarotonga Maori, by Tongi Maki'uti, Ministry of Cultural Development, Rarotonga 1999.
- Te uri Reo Maori (translating in Maori), by Tongi Maki'uti Punanga o te reo. 1996.
- Atiu, e enua e tona iti tangata, te au tata tuatua Ngatupuna Kautai...(et al.), Suva, University of the South Pacific.1993. (Maori translation of Atiu : an island Community)
- A vocabulary of the Mangaian language by Christian, F. W. 1924. Bernice P. Bishop Bulletin 2. Honolulu, Bernice P. Bishop Museum.
- E au tuatua ta'ito no Manihiki, Kauraka Kauraka, IPS, USP, Suva. 1987.
Languages of New Zealand | Languages of the Cook Islands | Māori
Rarotongeg | Idioma maorí de Islas Cook | Maori des îles Cook | Rarotongan kieli
"Cook Islands Maori"