Cook Islands Maori Totally Explained

Everything about Rarotongan Language totally explained

The Cook Islands Maori language, also called Māori Kūki 'Āirani or Rarotongan, is the official language of the Cook Islands. Most Cook Islanders also call it Te reo Ipukarea, literally "the language of the Ancestral Homeland".
Cook Islands Maori became an official language of the Cook Islands in 2003 . 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 dialects of the Cook Islands Maori are :

Rakahanga-Manihiki dialect;

Tongareva dialect (Penrhyn);

the Ngaputoru dialects of Atiu, Mitiaro and Mauke;

Aitutaki dialect;

Rarotonga dialect; and

Mangaia dialect. It is closely related to Tahitian and New Zealand Māori, and there's a degree of mutual intelligibility with these two languages. 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 a debate about the standardization of the writing system. Although the usage of the macron (־) te makaroni, and the glottal (') (/ʔ/) is recommended, most speakers don't use these two diacritics in everyday writing.

Consonants

	Labial	Alveolar	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	m	n	ŋ
Plosive	p	t	k	ʔ
Tap		ɾ
Fricative	f¹ v	s²		h³

Present only in Manihiki

Present only in Penrhyn

Present only in Manihiki and Penrhyn

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i iː		u uː
Close-mid	e eː		o oː
Open		a aː

Grammar

As with 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 Eurocentrism, even if any such 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 pronouns

Singular

Au : I, me

Cook islands maori	English	Word-to-word and gloss
Ka 'aere au ki te 'āpi'i āpōpō	I'm going to school tomorrow	(unaccomplished asp.)/ go / I / (prep. goal/destination) / the / learn / tomorrow
Ka 'ārote au inana'i, nō 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	(perfect asp.) / bad / by / you /(possession)/we (exclusive) /car
Ko koe 'oki, te tangata tā te 'akavā e kimi nei	you are the person the police are looking for	(subject marker) / you / also / the / man / (possession) / the / police / (progressive asp. with "nei") /look for/here and now.

'Aia : he, she

'Ea'a 'aia i 'aere mai ei	why did he/she come?	why ('ea'a... ei) / he or she / (accomplished asp) / go / towards me /
Kāre 'aia i konei	he/she isn't here	(negation asp.) / he or she / (marking position) / here

Dual

Tāua : we two, us two (you and I)

'aere tāua !	Let us go !	go / we two (inclusive)
Ko tō tāua taeake tērā ake	Here come our friends	(sujject marker) / (possession) / we two (inclusive) / friend or relative of the same generation (brother, sister, cousin either sex speaking, but not in laws./ that (deictic)/ a little time (or distance)away

Māua : we two, us two (he/she and I)

Ka 'oki māua ma Taria ki te kāinga	Taria and I are going back home	(unaccomplished asp.)/ return / we two (exclusive) / with / Taria/ (prep. goal)/ the / home
To tāua taeake tērā ake	Here come our friends	(subject marker) / possession / we two (exclusive) / friend / that (deictic)/ a little time (or distance away)

Kōrua : you two

'āe ! kua rongo kōrua i te nūti!	Hey ! have you heard the news	hey (interj) / (perfect asp.) / hear / you two / (object marker) / the / news /
Na kōrua teia puka	this book belongs to you two	(Possession) / you two / this (deictic) / book

Rāua : they, them (the two of them)

Tuatua muna tēia, ka akakite 'ua atu au kia rāua	This is a confidential matter, I'll only tell it to those two	speak, speech / secret / this / (unacomplished asp.) / reveal (make known) / only / away (from the speaker)/ I / (prep. ki+a)towards (someone)/ they two
No 'ea mai rāua ?	where have the two of them been?/ What have they been doing ?	from / (time and space interr.) / (indicating progression of time towards present) / they two

Plural

Tātou : We, us (you -2 or more- and I)

Ko'ai tā tātou e tiaki nei	Who are we waiting for ?	Who (subject marker+identity interr.) / (possession) / we, all of us (inclusive) / (progressive asp.) / wait for / here and now
Kāre ā tātou kai toe : we've no more food	we've no more food	(Negation asp.) / (possession) / we, all of us (inclusive) / eat, food / remain, remaining, the rest

Mātou : we, us (they and I)

Ko mātou ma Tere mā i 'aere mai ei	We came with Tere and the others	(subject marker)/ we (exclusive) / with, and / Tere / (part used only after persons meaning those in company with / (accomplisshed asp.) / go / (movement towards speaker) / (emphasis marks)
Kua kite mai koe ia mātou	You saw us	(perfect asp.) / see(towards speaker) / you / at someone (i+a) / we (exclusive)

Kōtou : (all of you)

E 'aere atu kōtou, ka āru atu au	you go on, and I 'll follow	(imperative asp.)/ go / (away from the speaker) / you all / (unaccomplished asp.) / follow / go / (away from the speaker) / I
Ko kōtou ko'ai mā i aere ei ki te tautai ?	Who did you go fishing with ?	(Subject marker) / you all / who (identity interr.) / in company with / (accomplished asp.) / go / (emphasis) / (goal/destination) / the / fishing

Rātou : they, them (more than two)

Kua pekapeka rātou ko Tere	they and Tere have quarrelled	(perfect asp.)/ trouble / they all / (subject marker)/ Tere
Nō rātou te pupu māro'iro'i	they've the strongest team	(Possession) / they all / the / team (litt. group of people) / strong

Aspect markers

Tē… nei : present continuous Tē manako nei au i te 'oki ki te 'are : I'm 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 dawdle!); 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 a shock

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 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 : 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 Māori, 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 - 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);

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

Pia : Polynesian arrowroot
   Kata : laugh at; laughter; kata 'āviri : ridicule, jeer, mock
   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 : forever
   'īmene : to sing, song
   Riri : be angry with (ki)
   Tārekareka : entertain, amuse, match, game, play game

Dialectology

Although most words of the various dialects of Cook Islands Maori are identical, there are some variations [tobe completed]

Rarotonga	Aitutaki	Mangaia	Ngāputoru	Manihiki	Tongareva	English
tuatua	'autara	taratara				speak, speech
kūmara	kū'ara	kū'ara				sweet potatoes
kāre/kore	kā'ore	‘āore	kare			no, not
tātā	kiriti	tātā				write
'ura	koni	'ura	'ingo			dance
'akaipoipo	'akaipoipo	'ā'āipoipo	'akaipoipo	fakaipoipo		wedding
'īkoke	koroio	rakiki				thin
'are	'are	'are	'are	fare	hare	house
ma'ata	'atupaka	ngao				big

Further Information

Get more info on 'Rarotongan Language'.

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