NCEA L1 Cook Islands Māori key terms

The Cook Islands Māori language itself, the subject of study. It belongs to the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family and is spoken across the fifteen islands, with distinct dialect differences between island groups.

Language, voice, or speech. Used both for a whole language and for the way someone speaks, as in a soft or harsh voice. It also appears in phrases about listening to what someone says.

A word. The smallest unit of meaning a learner analyses in a sentence. Related forms describe speaking, mentioning, or naming something, and word lists are a standard classroom tool for building vocabulary.

A phrase or expression, a group of words working together as one unit in a sentence. Idioms and fixed sayings are kīanga, and recognising them helps a reader understand meaning beyond single words.

Dialect or accent, the regional variety of the language spoken on a particular island or group. Speakers of different mitas may use different words or sounds for the same idea while still understanding each other.

The northern island whose language is usually treated as distinct from Cook Islands Māori proper, closer to Samoan in some respects. Candidates should recognise it as a separate reo within the Cook Islands, not a dialect of Rarotongan.

An island of the southern group with its own recognisable speech variety. Its dialect is often cited alongside Rarotongan and Ngāpūtoru when discussing how the language varies across the Cook Islands.

The main island and administrative centre, whose speech variety is the most widely used written standard and the form most teaching materials follow. Learners should know that 'standard' Cook Islands Māori is largely based here.

An island of the southern group with a distinctive dialect, often grouped with Rarotongan and 'Aitutaki when the main southern varieties are listed. Its speech shows regular sound correspondences with the Rarotongan standard.

A sign, mark, or symbol, and by extension a clue to meaning. In language study it covers punctuation marks and the written signals that show where a sentence, question, or quotation begins and ends.

A letter, both a letter of the alphabet and a written message sent to someone. Recognising reta and their sounds is the first step in reading and spelling, and writing reta is a common classroom task.

To write, print, or draw; also the act of writing itself. Used for handwriting, for composing a text, and in compounds describing a writer or a written record.

A book or any bound written work, and by extension a document or record. Also used for a source of knowledge, as in referring to a book that teaches something.

To speak, talk, or tell; also a speech, story, or piece of news. A core verb for oral communication and the root of many everyday expressions about conversation and reporting.

To explain, make clear, or shed light on something; also used for a clarification or explanation. A frequent instruction word in assessment tasks asking a candidate to account for an answer.

To correct, put right, or make accurate; also used for justice and for setting something straight. In a language classroom it labels correction of written work and the accurate form of a sentence.

Custom, tradition, or customary practice, the body of accepted ways a community lives by. Language study links closely to peu because greetings, titles, and formal speech follow customary rules.

An expert, specialist, or skilled person, and also a familiar place or haunt. Used for a master of a craft or tradition, including a knowledgeable speaker of the language.

A house or building, the everyday word for a dwelling. Appears in many compound nouns naming particular kinds of building and in everyday sentences about where someone lives.

Land, island, or country, and by extension the people of a place. A key word for talking about geography and belonging, and part of the name of several islands.

The sea or ocean, especially the deep open water beyond the reef. Central to Cook Islands life and to a large set of words about fishing, voyaging, and the weather.

A canoe or boat, and historically the voyaging vessel of Polynesian navigators. Also used in wider senses for a vehicle or for the crew and organisation attached to a vessel.

Wind, breeze, or air, and by extension the weather or a period of wind. Used in everyday talk about conditions at sea and in traditional weather knowledge.

A person, human being, or people collectively. A very frequent noun that also forms part of terms for men, women, and groups of people from a particular place.

A parent, and by extension a senior relative or elder with responsibility for others. Also used respectfully for a leader or someone who cares for a community.

A child, and in the plural the children of a family or community. A common word in family vocabulary and in sentences about age, school, and relationships.

To learn, and also used for the place or activity of learning. The word behind everyday school vocabulary, appearing in phrases about studying a subject or learning a skill.

Speech or talk in the Māori language, and more broadly the spoken language as opposed to written forms. Used when discussing fluency and the everyday use of the language at home.

A new word, either a recently coined term or one newly met by a learner. Building a list of kupu 'āpī is a standard way to record vocabulary from a reading or conversation.

A genuine or original word, one native to the language rather than borrowed from another. Contrasts with loanwords, and the distinction matters when discussing how the language has changed through contact.

A newly introduced or modern variety of speech, including the way younger speakers adapt the language. Useful when discussing language change, borrowing, and the survival of the language in daily life.

To confirm, make firm, or establish something securely. Used for strengthening an agreement or a decision, and in discussion of efforts to keep the language strong.

A base, foundation, stump, or origin, and by extension the source or root of something. Used in language study for a word root and in general talk for the reason behind an event.

To plan, arrange, or prepare something in advance; also the plan itself. A common instruction word in assessment tasks asking a candidate to outline or set out steps.

To write or record, especially to set something down in writing for others to read. Overlaps with other writing words but often carries the sense of recording information carefully.

Talk, speech, discussion, or a narrative, and the act of speaking or telling. Widely understood across Polynesian languages and used for both formal speeches and everyday conversation.

Genealogy or a line of descent, the recital of ancestors linking a person to the land and to earlier generations. A formal spoken art in its own right, valued across the wider Polynesian region.