A MINI MAORI COURSE

Kaea, Issue 5, 1 February 1981, Page 1

A MINI MAORI COURSE

Part Two of our special pull-out supplement

Last issue saw the first part of this mini course, which is designed as a concentrated summary of some of the main features of conversational Maori. The course offers no guidance on pronunciation, dialect variations or vocabulary. But it outlines the basic structures you need to know, and it offers models and examples from which you can form questions and sentences of your own.

For those of us who have learned in the past but need to brush up, or who are familiar with the sound of Maori but are unsure of the way that the language is put together, this course aims to provide a formal structure from which to develop. But that development depends on commitment, imagination and practice. Once the vital sentence patterns have been mastered, your conversational Maori needs regular application. Practice with your friends, encourage native speakers to talk to you in Maori you’ll soon be making good progress.

If you missed Part One, copies of our last issue are available from the address on page one for $1.25.

John Foster

7.2 The possessive adjectives. Ko tenei taku pene = this is my pen He tino nui to raua whare = their house is very big Homai ana pukapuka = give me his books Tikina au kuri = fetch your dogs

The full set: Singular Plural (one thing) (several things) one person My Taku, toku aku, oku Your tau, tou au, ou His, her tana, tona ana, ona two people Our (inclusive) ta taua, to taua a taua, o taua Our (exclusive) ta maua, to maua a maua, o maua Your ta korua, to korua a korua, o korua Their ta raua, to raua a raua, o raua several people Our (inclusive) ta tatou, to tatou a tatou, o tatou Our (exclusive) ta matou, to matou a matou, o matou Your ta koutou, to koutou a koutou, o koutou Their ta ratou, to ratou a ratou, o ratou

7.3 Statements of actual ownership He pene taku -1 have a pen He potae tona = she has a hat He poi a korua = you have pois

He wahine ta Ropata Ropata has a wife He tamariki a raua = they have children

Note how “he” is used in conjunction with the possessive adjectives in 7.2, and the way in which one or several things may be referred to.

7.4 “belongs to ” Another choice for expressing ownership. Na taku hoa tena pu = that gun belongs to my friend No Rua tera whare = that house belongs to Rua Naku tenei wati = this watch belongs to me (is mine) No raua era hoiho = those horses belong to them (are theirs)

Note: a. the same form is used whether one thing or several are referred to; b. the full set of the pronoun form is the same as the singular column in table 7.2, but with “n” replacing the first “t”.

7.5 “isfor (someone to have)” Mo nga tamariki enei kakahu = these clothes are for the kids Ma Paki tena keke = that cake is for Paki Mana tenei reta = this letter is for him/her No raua era hoiho = those horses belong to them (are theirs) Mo tatou tera motuka hou = that new car is for us Note: a. the same form is used whether one thing or several are referred to;

b. the full set of the pronoun form is the same as the singular column in table 7.2, but with “m” replacing the first “t”.

7.6 “for” used descriptively Ko tenei te potae mou =this is the hat for you He tino pai nga pukapuka ma nga tamariki = the books for the children are very good Note this different use of “for”, “hei” = for use as, with which to, for. Homai he ngira hei tuhituhi i tenei tokena = give me a needle for sewing this sock

8 Descriptive clauses are groups of words used for describing people or things. The clause is placed directly after the person or thing being described. For example if “e noho ana = is sitting” is placed after “te wahine” we have “te wahine e noho ana = the woman (who is) sitting”. We may choose to leave out “who is” in certain cases, but note that the Maori version serves both the English versions. Replacing “ana” by “nei”, “na”, or “ra” gives an added reference to location. The verb signs “kua” and “i” may be used in forming these clauses. Nga kotiro e waiata ana = the girls who are singing Te kuri e patua ana = the dog that is being hit Nga manuhiri kua tae mai = the guests who have arrived Te tama i oma kite kainga = the boy who ran to the village, who ran home Nga manu e rere ra = the birds flying over there Te pepi e moe nei the baby sleeping here Era tamariki e whangai ana i nga kawhe = those children feeding the calves Nga mea e mahia ana e nga kaimahi the things being made by the workers Note that the verbs in these clauses can be in either active or passive form, to give the required meaning.

9 The “agent emphatic ” In Maori a special construction is used to stress the person or thing that carries out some action. “Na i ” indicates past or present time; “Ma e ” indicates future time. Na nga manu enei pi i kai = the birds ate these peas Na Huria nga kakahu i horoi = It was Huria who washed the clothes Naku nga rare i hoko mai = / bought the lollies Ma te kaikorero nga manuhiri e mihi = the orator will greet the guests Ma Patu te wharenui e whakairo = Patu will carve the meeting house A/arauatauatamaitietiaki = they will look after that child (you mentioned) “Naku” and “Ma raua” belong to the “a” form sets (i.e. not “noku”, “mo raua”) referred to in 7.4 b and 7.5 b, any of which may be used to form the “agent emphatic”. This is a very common and important construction in Maori.

10.1 “AT/a’’has a very wide range of meanings, so only one or two of the most important are set out here. An order to someone to display some quality. Kia pai! = be good! Kia ora! = be well! Kia manawanui! = be stout hearted, patient! Kia tere! = be quick!

10.2 An order, request or wish of one person for other people to carry out some action; or for circumstances to bring about some desired result; kia = that should ”, “kia = to (do something)”. I hiahia toku whaea kia mahi tonu au = my mother wished that I should keep working. Tukua matou kia hoki ki o matou kainga = permit (allow) us to return to our homes Kua whakaae ona hoa kia noho a Pare = her friends have agreed that Pare should stay Ka whakahau te Kingi kia haere ratou = the King ordered that they should go (them to go)

11.1 A few useful negatives Concerning identity:

That is not a cow = Ehara tera * te kau That is not the cow = Ehara tera i te kau

Note that the negatives of these two sentences are the same Ehara ena i oku hu = those are not my shoes

11.2 Concerning quality: This is not big = Ehara tenei i te nui These sweets are not nice = Ehara enei rare i te pai (reka)

11.3 Concerning different states of action: I am not writing (to Matangi) = Kahore ahau e tuhituhiana (ki a Matangi) (neg. of “E tuhituhi ana ahau”) or, Kahore ahau i te tuhituhi (neg. of “Kei te tuhituhi / I te tuhituhi ahau”) He won’t (will not) work = Kahore ia e mahi Hori did not go (to school) = Kahore a Hori i haere (kite kura)

11.4 Concerning possession: He has not got the axe = Kahore i a ia te toki He does not possess {own) an axe = Kahore ana toki (lit. none his axes, “He does not have axes” is needed in Maori to say “He does not have an axe”)

11.5 Other common negatives No! = Kao! or Kahore! Do not go = Kaua e haere (tangi, kai, pupuhi, etc.) Do not wash this blanket = Kaua e horoia tenei paraikete (use verb in the passive form for this type of order or instruction)

12 Questions and answers Look around you, or at pictures in magazines and ask each other questions. Remember that in Maori the answer usually takes the same form as the question, and often only one word needs to be changed to be able to reply. Questions about:

a. Identity He aha tenei? = what is this? He tiki tena = that is a tiki He aha era mea ma? = what are those white things? He manu (era mea ma) = those white things are birds? Ko wai tera tangata? = who is that man? Ko Hone tera tangata = That (man) is Hone Ko wai ma era kotiro? = Who are those girls? Ko Hine ma = (they are) Hine and the others Ko wai tona ingoa? = what is her name? (not “He aha ...”) Ko Kiri tona ingoa = her name is Kiri

b. Location Kei hea to hoa? = where is your friend? Kei te taone = at town / hea taku pene? = where was my pen? I runga tau pene i te tepu = your pen was on the table He aha kei roto i tau kete? = what is in your kit? He riwai kei roto i taku kete = there are potatoes in my kit No hea a Henare? = where is Henare from? (his home place or tribe)

No Tikitiki (Ngati Porou) a Henare = Henare is from (belongs to (Tikitiki) Ngati Porou)

c. Action E aha ana ia; kei te aha ratou? = what is he doing? what are they doing? E takoto ana ratou; kei te takoto ratou = they are lying down I te aha ia? = what was he doing? I te mahi ia = he was working E aha ana ia ite hoiho = what is she doing to the horse? (not “ki te hoiho”) E whangai ana ia i te hoiho = she is feeding the horse Kei te mahi nga kamura i te aha? = what are the carpenters making?

Kei te mahi raua i te tepu hou = they are making a new table E haere ana koe ki hea? = where are you going to? E haere ana ahau ki toku whare = I am going to my house Ka korero ia ki a wai? = who will he talk to (to whom will he talk)? Ka korero ia ki a Ruihi ma = he will talk to Louise and the others I ahatia te mihini horoi kakahu? = what happened to the washing machine? (Do not use “ki”. “Happen to” is built into the passive form “ahatia”.)

I hokona atu = (it) was sold Na wai nga heki i hoko mai = who bought the eggs ( who did buy)? (Agent emphatic) Na Hoani nga heki i hoko mai = Hoani bought the eggs Ma wai tenei aporo e kai? = who will eat this apple? (Agent emphatic) Mana = she will Na te aha nga riwai i kai = what has eaten the potatoes? Na te kiori nga riwai i kai = (it was) mice (that) ate the potatoes

d. Possession Na wai enei rare? = whose are these lollies? (possession, compare with c.) Naku ena rare = those lollies are mine No wai tera hoiho? = who does that horse belong to? No toku tungane tera hoiho = that horse belongs to my brother (said by girl) Ma wai enei kai? = who is this food for? (future possession, compare with c.) Ma Hera raua ko Pita = (it) is for Hera and Pita Mo wai tera poroka = who is that pullover for? Mo taku tamahine = for my daughter Kei a wai te tikera? = who has the kettle? Kei a Huhana te tikera = Huhana has it I a wai taku wati? = who had my watch? I to papa to wati = your father had it

e. Time E hoa, he aha te taima? = I say old chap, what's the time? E waru karaka te taima = it is eight o’clock Nonahea ratou i tae mai ai? = when did they arrive? No te Mane ratou i tae mai ai = they arrived on Monday Ahea to papa (e) hoki ai ki Akarana? = when will your father go back to Auckland? A te Paraire = on Friday The “ai” in these last two questions just re-stresses the time of the event and implies “when”, “at which”, “thereat”

f. Quantity E hia au kuri? = how many dogs do you have? E rima aku kuri = I have five dogs Tokohia a korua tamariki? = how many children do you have? lokorud = two

g. Quality He aha te kara o ona tokena? = what is the colour of his socks? He kowhai te kara o ona tokena = the colour of his socks is yellow He koi ranei tau toki? = is your axe sharp? Ae, he tino koi rawa yes, very sharp indeed “Ranei” is a word of enquiry, introduced to change a statement into a question.

h. Distinction Ko tehea te whare o te minita? = which is the vicar’s house? Ko tera whare = that house is Ko ehea nga taputapu a Ropata? = which are Ropata’s tools? Ko enei = these are

i. Reason He aha ratou i noho ai? = why did they stay? He hiamoe no ratou i noho ai = because they were sleepy they stayed He aha a Hera i hoko ai i tenei pukapuka? = why did Hera buy this book? I hoko a Hera i tenei pukapuka kia ako ai i te reo Maori = Hera bought this book so as to learn Maori To ask “why” in Maori is the most complicated question form, and the answer is less limited in form than for the other replies; the “ai” is used to imply “what cause?” Hei aha tena tupara? = what is that shotgun for? Hei pupuhi i nga rapeti = to shoot the rabbits

Concluded next issue.