NCEA L1 Cook Islands Māori flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

glottal stop

A consonant sound made by briefly closing the throat, written with an apostrophe in Cook Islands Māori. It changes meaning, so 'a' (fire) and a (of) are different words.

Macron

A horizontal line over a vowel (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) that marks a long vowel. Length is phonemic, so mārama (clear, understand) differs from marama (moon, light).

Number of letters

The Cook Islands Māori alphabet has thirteen letters: a, e, f, i, k, m, n, ng, o, p, r, t, u, v. The glottal stop is treated as an additional consonant.

Language family

Cook Islands Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language, part of the Tahitic group. Its closest relatives include Tahitian and Tuamotuan, and it is also related to New Zealand Māori.

Official status

Cook Islands Māori is an official language of the Cook Islands, used alongside English. It is taught in schools and used in Parliament, broadcasting, church and community life.

Rarotongan dialect

The dialect of Rarotonga, the most widely used variety and the basis of much written material. It is often treated as the standard for school materials and broadcasting.

Ngāpūtoru dialect

The dialect group of Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro in the southern Cook Islands. It differs from Rarotongan in vocabulary and some sounds, and is recognised in dialect comparison questions.

Northern group languages

Varieties spoken in Manihiki, Rakahanga, Penrhyn and Pukapuka. Pukapuka is notably a Western Polynesian outlier, distinct from the Eastern Polynesian languages of the southern group.

Word order

Cook Islands Māori typically places the verb before the subject and object (VSO), for example 'I kite au i te manu - I saw the bird. Pronouns and tense markers sit before the verb.

Tense marker: 'i

The particle 'i marks past events, as in 'I 'aere au - I went. It is placed before the verb phrase and is a common target in translation and comprehension items.

Tense marker: te ... nei

The combination te ... nei marks present or ongoing action, as in Te 'aere nei au - I am going. It frames an action happening now or a current state.

Future marker: ka

The particle ka marks future or intended action, as in Ka 'aere au - I will go. It appears before the verb phrase and contrasts with the past marker 'i.

Pronoun: au

The first-person singular pronoun au means I or me. It follows the verb phrase, as in 'I kite au - I saw, and has a shorter form in some contexts.

Pronoun: koe

The second-person singular pronoun koe means you (one person). It follows the verb, as in Ka 'aere koe - you will go, and is distinct from the plural kōtou.

Pronoun: kōtou

The second-person plural pronoun kōtou means you (three or more people). Cook Islands Māori distinguishes dual and plural, so kōrua means you two.

Pronoun: mātou and tātou

Mātou means we (excluding the person addressed); tātou means we (including them). This inclusive/exclusive distinction is a frequent comprehension and translation point.

Pronoun: rāua

The third-person dual pronoun rāua means the two of them. It is used for exactly two people, contrasting with rātou for three or more people.

Article: te and te au

Te is the singular definite article (the), as in te 'are - the house. Te au marks plural nouns, as in te au 'are - the houses, though plural marking is often optional.

Preposition: i

The preposition i marks a direct object or a location in time or place, as in 'I kite au i te manu - I saw the bird. Its role depends on the verb and context.

Preposition: ki

The preposition ki means to, towards or into, marking direction or a recipient, as in Ka 'aere au ki te kāinga - I will go to the village. It also introduces reported speech.

Preposition: nō and nā

Nō and nā express possession, origin or reason, roughly of or from. Nō is used with past or general reference, nā with present or future reference in many contexts.

Negation: kāre

Kāre (or kāre e) negates a statement, often with e before the verb, as in Kāre au e 'aere - I am not going. It is the common negative marker in everyday speech.

Question marker: 'ē

'Ē is placed at the start or end of a clause to form a yes/no question, as in 'Ē, te 'aere nei koe? - Are you going? Intonation also signals questions.

Question word: 'ea

'Ea means where and asks about place, as in Te 'aere nei koe ki 'ea? - Where are you going? Question words usually come early in the clause.

Question word: 'a'a

'A'a means what, as in 'E 'a'a tēna? - What is that? It asks for an object, action or explanation depending on the sentence structure.

Question word: 'ai

'Ai means who, as in 'Ai koe? - Who are you? It can also appear in other positions, and the answer may use the personal article a before a name.

Personal article: a

The particle a precedes personal names and some pronouns, as in a Tere or a au. It marks a person rather than a common noun, which normally takes te.

Vocabulary: kāinga

Kāinga means home, village or settlement, and also refers to the extended family land and community. It is a high-frequency word in reading passages about daily life.

Vocabulary: metua

Metua means parent or elder. In Cook Islands Māori society, respect and service toward metua are core values, and the word often appears in texts about family roles.

Vocabulary: 'ākono'anga

'Ākono'anga means custom, tradition or the way things are done. It names inherited practices and rules of behaviour, and is central to cultural texts in the exam.

Vocabulary: pe'e

A pe'e is a traditional chant or recitation, often performed without instruments. Pe'e carry genealogy, history and land knowledge, and are a recognised Cook Islands text type.

Text type: tuatua

A tuatua is a formal speech or oration, delivered at gatherings such as welcomes. It follows recognised conventions, greeting ancestors, the land and the assembled people in order.