NCEA Level 2 Cook Islands Māori key terms

The Cook Islands Māori language itself, the subject of this exam. It belongs to the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family and is spoken across the fifteen islands of the Cook Islands, with distinct island dialects.

An ordinary, common, or normal thing, as opposed to something sacred or exceptional. In the language name Reo Māori it signals the everyday speech of the people, distinguishing it from ceremonial or chiefly registers.

Sacred, restricted, or set apart under traditional rules. Objects, places, or people can be tapu, and the term also covers the restrictions themselves, which govern behaviour around chiefs, marae, graves, and certain foods.

The open communal meeting ground at the centre of a village, used for gatherings, ceremonies, speeches, and welcoming visitors. It is a focal cultural institution and a frequent topic in listening and reading passages.

A high chief or paramount chief, the senior rank of traditional leadership in the Cook Islands. An ariki holds inherited authority over land and people and is addressed with formal respectful language.

A sub-chief or lesser chief who ranks below an ariki and takes responsibility for a section of the community or a lineage group. The term appears in texts about traditional social organisation and land.

An extended family or descent group tracing shared ancestry, the basic social unit for land rights, support, and obligations. Understanding this term helps when reading about family relationships and community responsibilities.

To respect, honour, or show deference to someone, especially elders, chiefs, or visitors. It is a key value term and appears in formal speech, greetings, and passages about appropriate behaviour in Cook Islands society.

Cook Islands custom and traditional practice, the body of customary behaviour, protocol, and values that governs social life. Passages about ceremonies, welcomes, and community events often refer to it directly.

To learn or to teach, and also the learning itself. The word covers both sides of the teaching relationship, so context decides whether a sentence means the teacher instructing or the student studying.

A tree trunk, a base or foundation, and by extension an origin or source. It also names the leader or head of a group, and appears in compounds about genealogy and the beginning of a story.

A seat, a place to sit, or a position of authority. In formal contexts it refers to the seat or role a person holds within a group, and it appears in phrases about taking one's place at a gathering.

A word. It is the standard term used in vocabulary questions and in instructions asking candidates to choose or explain a particular word in a text. The plural is formed with the prefix nga, as in ngā kupu.

Voice, speech, or language. It is used both for the physical voice and for a whole language, so a phrase like te reo means the language, while a loud reo refers to how someone sounds.

A word that modifies or describes another word, functioning like an adjective or a descriptive modifier. Knowing this label helps candidates identify which word in a sentence is doing the describing.

The plural prefix placed before a noun to mark more than one, as in nga kupu for words. It is one of the most frequent grammatical markers and appears constantly in reading and listening texts.

A marker used before a noun to show possession, particularly for things a person owns, makes, or controls, such as tools, food, or children. It contrasts with the other possessive marker, ō, and choosing correctly matters in writing.

The possessive marker used for things a person is connected to rather than controls, such as relatives, body parts, and places, and also for passive relationships. It pairs with tā, and the choice depends on the noun.

The first person singular pronoun, meaning I or me. It appears in everyday sentences and in the short personal statements candidates are often asked to write or speak about themselves.

The second person singular pronoun, meaning you when addressing one person. It is used in questions, greetings, and direct address, and is distinct from the plural form used for several people.

The third person singular pronoun, meaning he or she. Cook Islands Māori does not mark gender on this pronoun, so the correct English rendering must be inferred from context, a common comprehension point.

The second person plural pronoun, meaning you when speaking to three or more people. Distinguishing it from the singular and dual forms is a regular grammar point in this exam.

The first person dual pronoun meaning the two of us, used when the person spoken to is excluded. It contrasts with the inclusive form that includes the listener, a distinction candidates are expected to handle.

A tense marker placed before the verb to show future or intended action, roughly equivalent to will or is going to. Its position relative to the pronoun and verb is a frequent sentence-construction question.

A tense marker showing that an action is completed or a state has been reached, close to English has or already. It sits before the verb and signals perfect aspect rather than simple past time.

A tense marker used for ongoing or habitual action, close to English is doing or does. It also appears as a particle in counting and in some verb constructions, so context determines its exact role.

A causative prefix attached to verbs and adjectives to mean to make something happen or to cause a state, as in making something clean or large. Recognising it helps candidates work out the meaning of unfamiliar words.

A particle placed after a word to point to something distant from the speaker, roughly that over there. It contrasts with the particle for something near, and the pair is tested in listening and reading tasks.

A particle placed after a word to point to something near the speaker or to the present time, roughly this or here. It is the counterpart of the distant particle rā and appears in set phrases such as this place.

A person of European descent, especially a New Zealander of European background, and by extension things associated with them. The term appears in historical and social texts about contact and migration.

A member of the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and also the name of their language. In Cook Islands contexts it distinguishes the local people and language from other groups.

One of the Cook Islands, a raised atoll in the southern group known for its large lagoon. It is a common subject in texts about travel, geography, and island life, and its name is used in listening items.

The largest and most populous island of the Cook Islands and the site of the capital, Avarua. Most administrative and educational activity is centred there, so it appears frequently in reading passages.

To listen or to hear, and the act of listening. The word appears in exam instructions for listening sections and in comprehension questions asking what a speaker heard or was told to do.

To write or to mark down, and the act of writing. It appears in instructions for written tasks and in reading passages about schoolwork, letters, and record keeping.

To speak, to talk, or to tell, and also a speech or discussion. It is a frequent verb in dialogue passages and in questions asking what a character said or what a conversation was about.

To see, to know, or to understand, depending on context. The overlap between seeing and knowing is a distinctive feature of Polynesian languages and a common source of translation difficulty in comprehension items.