NZ Scholarship Te Reo Rangatira flashcards

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

Tohutō (macron)

A mark over a vowel indicating length. Length distinguishes meaning, as in kākā (parrot) versus kaka (garment), so omitting it changes the word, not merely its spelling.

Predicate-initial word order

Māori sentences typically open with the predicate (verb, stative, or nominal particle phrase) before the subject. English topic-comment order cannot be transferred directly without producing calqued, unidiomatic Māori.

E … ana construction

The pattern e [verb] ana marks an ongoing or present action, e.g., e ako ana ia. It contrasts with kua for completed state and ka for narrative sequence.

Kua (perfect marker)

Aspect particle marking a completed action whose result is currently relevant, often translated with 'has/have'. It also appears in stative-like expressions such as kua mate and kua oti.

Ka (sequential marker)

Particle used for narrative sequence and habitual or future events in many contexts. In storytelling it drives the plot forward, distinguishing narration from description with e … ana.

I (past marker)

Particle marking past time in verbal sentences, e.g., i haere ia. It also functions as the transitive preposition 'by/object marker' before direct objects, so context determines its role.

He (indefinite nominal particle)

Particle introducing an indefinite nominal predicate or existential statement, e.g., he tangata ia. Negation uses ehara … i te for nominal sentences, not kāore.

Ko (identificational particle)

Particle introducing a definite nominal predicate or identifying a specific entity, e.g., ko Tāne te rangatira. It also precedes names and place names in many sentence positions.

Kāore negation

The default negator for verbal sentences, e.g., kāore ia i haere. It does not negate nominal sentences, which require ehara, a distinction frequently tested in written accuracy.

Ehara … i te

Negation pattern for nominal and identificational sentences, e.g., ehara ia i te tohunga. Using kāore here is a grammatical error rather than a stylistic choice.

Passive ending -tia

One of several lexically fixed passive suffixes. A verb's passive form must be learned with the verb; -tia, -hia, -kia, -ngia, -ria, -mia, -a, -ia, -whia, -ina are not freely interchangeable.

Transitive i versus ki

Transitive verbs take i before their object, e.g., ka kite au i a ia. Many intransitive and perception verbs take ki or no preposition, so argument structure is verb-specific and must be memorised.

Nominalisation with -nga

Suffix forming nouns of event or result, e.g., tuhituhi to tuhituhinga. It typically denotes an occurrence or its outcome rather than an abstract quality, which is the domain of -tanga.

Nominalisation with -tanga

Suffix forming abstract nouns denoting quality or state, e.g., rangatira to rangatiratanga. It differs from -nga, which more often names events or results.

Reduplication

Partial or full repetition of a word base signalling plurality, intensity, or diminution, e.g., nohinohi (small). It is productive but lexically constrained, so invented forms may be ungrammatical.

Whakataukī

A traditional proverb with tribal or historical provenance, used to support argument or encapsulate wisdom. It differs from kīwaha, which are colloquial idioms without proverb status.

Kīwaha

A colloquial idiom or idiom-like expression used in everyday speech, often conveying attitude such as exasperation. Unlike whakataukī, kīwaha lack traditional proverb provenance.

Pepeha

A formulaic statement of identity naming one's mountain, river, ancestor, tribe, and marae. It situates a speaker genealogically and geographically and is a recognised formal genre.

Tauparapara

An opening chant used to begin a formal speech, often allusive and archaic. It functions as a structural marker signalling the start of whaikōrero and setting its tone.

Whaikōrero structure

A formal speech typically moves through tauparapara, mihi, whakapapa or whakataukī, and kaupapa, the substantive argument. Analysis should name these parts when discussing the genre.

Waiata tautoko

A song sung to support a speech after it concludes. It reinforces the kaupapa and is a standard element of formal encounter protocol, not an optional decoration.

Karanga

A high-pitched call performed by women to welcome visitors onto the marae, naming the dead and the living. Its language is formulaic, allusive, and genre-specific.

Mihi

A greeting section within formal speech acknowledging people, the dead, the land, and the occasion. It precedes the substantive argument in whaikōrero.

Kupu whakarite

A simile or metaphorical comparison used in formal and poetic Māori, e.g., likening a chief to a hawk. Its interpretation depends on shared cultural knowledge of the image.

Whakapapa recitation

The recitation of genealogical links, connecting people to ancestors and land. In texts it establishes authority and identity and often signals transitions in a speech.

Mōteatea

A traditional lament or chant, often archaic in vocabulary and formulaic in structure. Comprehension requires attention to older forms and to context rather than literal gloss alone.

Dialect variation

Legitimate regional differences in lexicon and pronunciation, such as Ngāi Tahu k and ng patterns. Standard written Māori is a convention, not the sole correct form of the language.

Calque

A word or construction borrowed by literal translation from another language, e.g., English syntax rendered word for word. Calqued Māori is a common weakness in formal writing.

Vocative ē and ā

Particles preceding names or terms of address, e.g., e hoa, ē te iwi. Length and choice depend on the following word, and errors are treated as grammatical rather than typographic.

Plural particles

Ngā, ētahi, and maha mark plurality in different ways: ngā is definite plural, ētahi means 'some', maha means 'many'. Choosing among them changes definiteness and quantity.

Idiomatic translation

Rendering meaning, register, and idiom rather than word-for-word gloss. Faithful translation preserves intent and tone, and examiners reward idiomatic control over literal equivalence.

Register shift

Deliberate movement between formal genres such as whaikōrero and conversational prose. Consistency of register within a piece signals control; unmotivated mixing signals weakness.