Cook Islands Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language that is an official language of the Cook Islands. It is closely related to, but distinct from, New Zealand Māori. Cook Islands Māori is called just Māori when there is no need to distinguish it from New Zealand Māori. It is also known as Māori Kūki Āirani (or Maori Kuki Airani), or as Rarotongan. Many Cook Islanders also call it Te Reo Ipukarea, which translates as 'the language of the ancestral homeland'.

Dialects Although most words of the various dialects of Cook Islands Māori are identical, there are some differences.

Rarotonga Aitutaki Mangaia Ngāputoru Manihiki Tongareva English speak, speech ānau ānau ānau fanau hanau Birth, offspring (c.f. Kopu tangata for family) kūmara kūara kūara kūmara kūmara kumala sweet potato kāre kāore, āore ei, āore āita, kāre kaua, kāre koreno, not tātā kiriti tātā tātā tātā tata write ura koni ura ingo, oriori, ura hupahupa kosaki dance akaipoipo akaipoipo āāipoipo akaipoipo fakaipoipo selenga wedding īkoke koroio rakiki tūngāngā hikoke mokisi thin are are are are fare hare house maata atupaka ngao nui, nunui, ranuinui kore reka polia big matū, pete ngenengene pori poripori menemene suesue fat

Demographics Place Cook Islands Māori-speaking population Cook Islands 13,620 New Zealand 7,725 New South Wales 1,612 Queensland 1,609 Victoria 1,468 Western Australia 308 South Australia 63 Australian Capital Territory 28 Northern Territory 21 Tasmania 10

Official status English is an official language of the Cook Islands, and Cook Islands Māori became an official language also in 2003, as defined by the Te Reo Maori Act 2003.

The Te Reo Maori Act states that Māori:

Phonology +ConsonantsLabialAlveolarVelarGlottalNasalPlosive Tap Fricative

+ Vowel inventory Front Central Back High Mid Low

Writing system There is a debate about the standardisation of the writing system. Although usage of the macron (־) makarona and the glottal stop () amata is recommended, most speakers do not use them in everyday writing. The Cook Islands Māori Revised New Testament uses a standardised orthography that includes the okina and macron.

Grammar Cook Islands Māori is an isolating language with very little morphology. Case is marked by the particle that initiates a noun phrase, and like most East Polynesian languages, Cook Islands Māori has nominative-accusative case marking.

The unmarked constituent order is predicate initial: that is, verb initial in verbal sentences and nominal-predicate initial in non-verbal sentences.

Personal pronouns

Person Singular Dual Plural 1st inclusive au tāua tātou1 1st exclusive māua mātou2 2nd koe kōrua kōtou 3rd aia rāua rātou you -2 or more- and I they and I

+ Singular pronoun examples Pronoun Cook Islands Maori English Word-to-word and gloss auKa aere au ki te āpii āpōpō I'm going to school tomorrow. (unaccomplished asp.)/ go / I / (prep. goal/destination) / the / learn / tomorrow Ka ārote au inanai, nō te ua rā, kua akakore auI was going to do the ploughing yesterday, but gave it up because of the rain. (unaccomplished asp.) / plough / I / yesterday / because (origin) / the / rain / day /(perfect asp.) / give up (litt. "do nothing") /I koeKua 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 Eaa aia i aere mai ei Why did he/she come? why (eaa... ei) / he or she / (accomplished asp) / go / towards me /Kāre aia i konei He/she is not here. (negation asp.) / he or she / (marking position) / here

+ Dual pronoun examples Pronoun Cook Islands Maori English Word-to-word and gloss Tāua aere tāua !Let us go! go / we two (inclusive) Ko tō tāua taeake tērā ake Here come our friends. (subject 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 we two, us two (he/she and I) Ka oki māua ko Taria ki te kāinga Taria and I are going back home. (unaccomplished asp.)/ return / we two (exclusive) / with / Taria/ (prep. goal)/ the / homeTo 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 shall only tell it to those two. speak, speech / secret / this / (unaccomplished 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 pronoun examples Pronoun Cook Islands Maori English Word-to-word and gloss Tātou : We, us (you -2 or more- and I) Koai 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 have 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 koai 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 māroiroi They have the strongest team. (Possession) / they all / the / team (litt. group of people) / strong

Tense–Aspect–Mood markers Marker Aspect Examples present continuous : I am thinking of going back to the house : They are laughing : I'm not planting any arrowroot Mildly imperative or exhortatory, expressing a desire, a wish rather than a strong command. : be quick ! (don't be long!) : be quick (don't dawdle!) : good luck! : would you do that job : come to work on Monday morning : Here's the breadfruit pudding, eat up Imperative, order : you get down : stand over there interdiction, don't : don't on any account touch this live wire, you'll get a shock indicate the negation, not, nothing, nowhere : It will not rain : Tī doesn't have anything to say habitual action or state : Do you go to the dance? : he used to live in Nikao at that time Refers prospectively to the commencement of an action or state. Often translatable as the English future tense or "going to" construction : Mary is going to sing later on tonight : I know (or knew) that Tere will (or would) be angry translatable as the English simple past or present tense (with adjectives) : You saw us ? : Are you better now? : the match is over now Most of the preceding examples were taken from Cook Islands Maori Dictionary, by Jasper Buse with Raututi Taringa edited by Bruce Biggs and Rangi Moekaa, Auckland, 1995.

Possessives Like most other Polynesian languages (Tahitian, New Zealand Māori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan ...), Cook Islands Māori has two categories of possessives, "a" and "o".

Generally, the "a" category is used when the possessor has or had control over the initiation of the possessive relationship. Usually this means that the possessor is superior or dominant to what is owned, or that the possession is considered as alienable. The "o" category is used when the possessor has or had no control over the initiation of the relationship. This usually means that the possessor is subordinate or inferior to what is owned, or that the possession is considered to be inalienable.

The following list indicates the types of things in the different categories:

a is used in speaking of Movable property, instruments, Food and drink, Husband, wife, children, grandchildren, girlfriend, boyfriend, Animals and pets, (except for horses) People in an inferior position

Te puaka a tērā vaine : the pig belonging to that woman; ā Tere tamariki : Tere's children; Kāre ā Tupe mā ika inapō : Tupe and the rest didn't get any fish last night

Tāku; Tāau; Tāna; Tā tāua; Tā māua…. : my, mine; your, yours; his, her, hers, our ours…

Ko tāku vaine tēia : This is my wife; Ko tāna tāne tērā : That's her husband; Tā kotou apinga : your possession(s); Tā Tare apinga : Tērā possession(s);

o is used in speaking of Parts of anything Feelings Buildings and transport (including horses) Clothes Parents or other relatives (not husband, wife, children...) Superiors

Te are o Tere : The house belonging to Tere; ō Tere pare : Tere's hat; Kāre ō Tina noo anga e noo ei : Tina hasn't got anywhere to sit;

Tōku; Tōou; Tōna; Tō tāua; Tō māua…: my, mine; your, yours; his, her, hers; our, ours …

Ko tōku are tēia : This is my house; I tōku manako, ka tika tāna : In my opinion, he'll be right; Tēia tōku, tērā tōou : 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 angaanga : work, job Pōpongi : morning Tātāpaka : a kind of breadfruit pudding 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

Sample text

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Cook Islands Māori (Rarotongan):Kua anau rangatira ia te tangata katoatoa ma te aiteite i te au tikaanga e te tu ngateitei tiratiratu. Kua ki ia ratou e te mero kimi ravenga e te akavangakau e kia akono tetai i tetai, i roto i te vaerua piri anga taeake.Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Notes

Sources

Cook Islands Maori Database Project, an online project created to build a collection of Cook Islands Maori words based on existing print dictionaries and other sources Cook Islands Maori Dictionary, by Jasper Buse with Raututi Taringa, edited by Bruce Biggs and Rangi Moekaa, 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.