Cook Islands Māori

The Cook Islands Māori 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".

History

Cook Islands Māori became an official language of the Cook Islands in 2003.^[7] According to Te Reo Maori Act, Māori:

• (a) means the Māori 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 Māori that conforms to the national standard for Māori approved by Kopapa Reo; (see external links).

These dialects^[8] of the Cook Islands Māori are :

• Rakahanga-Manihiki dialect;
• Penrhyn dialect (Tongarevan);^[9]
• the Ngaputoru dialects of Atiu, Mitiaro and Mauke;
• Aitutaki dialect;
• Rarotongan dialect; and
• Mangaia dialect.

It is closely related to Tahitian and New Zealand Māori, and there is 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 Sāmoan 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 do not use these two diacritics in everyday writing.

Consonants

1. Present only in Manihiki
2. Present only in Penrhyn
3. Present only in Manihiki and Penrhyn

Vowels

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

1. you -2 or more- and I
2. they and I

Aspect markers

Possessives

Like most Polynesian languages (Tahitian, New Zealand Māori, Hawaiian, Samoan, …), Cook Islands Māori 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 Māori are identical, there are some variations [to be completed]

Notes

Dictionaries, learning methods and books in Cook Islands Māori

External links