Chapter I: Preface: To First Edition

Independently of minute and numerous subdivisions, it may, perhaps, be correct to state that there are spoken in this the northern island seven leading dialects, each more or less distinguished from the other--viz., 1st, the Rarawa, or that spoken to the northward of Kaitaia; 2nd, the Ngapuhi, or that spoken in that portion of the island as far south of Kaitaia as Point Rodney on the eastern coast, and Kaipara on the western; 3rd, the Waikato, or that spoken in the district lying between Point Rodney and Tauranga on the east, and Kaipara and Mokau on the west; 4th, that spoken in the Bay of Plenty; 5th, the dialect of the East Cape and its neighbourhood, in which, perhaps, may be included that of Rotorua, though in these two places many little differences might be detected; 6th, that spoken in the line of coast between Port Nicholson and Wanganui, though here, also, at least four distinct branches might be traced; 7th, and last, that spoken between Wanganui and Mokau. The dialect of Taupo may be, perhaps, considered a mixture of those of Rotorua and Waikato.

All these may be stated to bear to each other a remarkable radical affinity. Many words, it is true, may be found in one which are unknown in another; but the grammar of _any_ will give a great insight into the texture of _all_.

The Waikato dialect is very generally known throughout the larger portion of the island. It has deeply tinctured that of Taupo, is well known at Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty, and has been carried to the summits of Taranaki by the multitudes whom its fierce warriors once dragged from thence in slavery, and whose chains have been since snapped by the power of the Gospel. Ngapuhi to the northward are well acquainted with it, from the number of slaves who had been fetched from thence by the warrior Hongi; and a little before his time it was carried to the neighbourhood of Port Nicholson by two large and distinct migrations--one by Ngatitoa, who were the original possessors of Kawhia, another by Ngatiraukawa, who formerly occupied Maungatautari, and as far as Taupo.

The four tribes also who now occupy the banks of the Thames resided, formerly, for a very long period, in Waikato, and, being sprung from the same stock, speak a language so similar that a critical ear can scarcely tell the difference between the dialects of the two people.[1]

The origin of this people,--what part of this island was first occupied,--whether it was not colonized by different migrations from different islands,--are points as yet buried in darkness.

That it was not occupied by merely one migration has ever been the opinion of the author since he heard of the different condition and habits of the people of the East Cape and those of Waikato. A survey of the different dialects will confirm the conjecture, and nowhere can we get a better illustration than at Taupo. For that magnificent lake, in the centre of the island, and the point of meeting for two parties, as they approach from either coast, presents also a remarkable diversity in the languages spoken on the eastern and western banks. On the eastern, the dialect corresponds closely with that of Rotorua, from which it is distant about a four days' journey; on the north-western, which is occupied by a remnant left by the Ngatiraukawa in their great migration to the southward, the dialect is remarkably similar to that spoken in Waikato.[2]

The points of similarity between the fundamental principles of the Hebrew language and those of Maori have been occasionally noticed: not, however, because the author entertains any opinion that the two languages can claim any direct relationship to each other. Upon this only would he insist, in reply to those who would bind him down to the model of some of the European grammars, that Maori, like Hebrew, is altogether different from those languages in structure; that every subject of scientific inquiry must have rules and an arrangement suited to its nature; and that, as it would be absurd to construct the English on the basis of the Latin, so would it be more out of course to think of finding in Maori declensions, conjugations, modes of comparison, &c., &c., as accurately defined, or conducted on the same principles, as those of languages so polished, and so adapted for expressing, as well the minutest varieties in thought, as the tenderest emotions of the feelings.

And here the author would acknowledge his obligations to Professor Lee for his theory of the Hebrew tenses. On no other hypothesis can a satisfactory solution be given of the Maori tense.

The student is requested to notice that the remarks that are more suited to a beginner are printed in large type, and that matters which are of less importance to him are contained in the smaller. It will be, perhaps, most advisable for him to omit the perusal of the latter until he has mastered the former.

Waikato Heads,
February, 1842.

[1] Marutuahu, from Kawhia, is the great progenitor of the Thames tribes, and his name is often used to designate that people. Kawhia, we may add, is the place at which, according to the accounts of the people of Waikato, Taranaki, as well as those of Ngatiruanui, the early immigrants landed.

[2] These remarks might also be extended to Rotorua lakes, on the north-western extremity also of which are residing another remnant of Ngatiraukawa, whose dialect is, as far as the author recollects, different from that spoken by Ngatiwakaane.

EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS.

adj.--_adjective_.

adv.--_adverb_.

n.--_noun_.

part. adj.--_participial adjective_.

v.--_verb_.

v. a.--_verb active_.

vid. S.--_denotes that further information will be found in the
Syntax_.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAP. I. ORTHOEPY.

The letters of Maori 1 Of the sound of the Vowels 1-4 Of the Diphthongs 4-7 Homogeneous sounds, when they meet in a sentence 7 Of the Consonants 7-9 A table of peculiarities of pronunciation in the principal dialects 9

CHAP. II. OF THE ARTICLE.

The Articles 10 Of the definite article _te_ 10-12 Of its plural _nga_ 12 Of the indefinite article _he_ 12 Of _te tahi_ when used as an article 12-13 Of the particle _a_ 13-15

CHAP. III. OF THE NOUNS.

Nouns primitive and derivative 16 Compound words 17 Verbal nouns 17-18 Proper names 18-19 Gender of nouns 19-20 Number of nouns 21 Of the postfix _ma_ 21 Reduplication of nouns 21 Cases of nouns 22

CHAP. IV. OF THE ADJECTIVES.

Their gender, number, and case 23 Reduplication of 23

CHAP. V. OF THE NUMERALS.

Of the cardinals 24 Their prefixes 24 Their manner of combination, &c. 25 _Prefixes_ for denoting ----persons 26 ----distribution 26 ----fractions of length 26 _Ordinals._ Three ways for denoting them 26

CHAP. VI. OF THE PRONOUNS.

Of the personal pronouns 27-29 Of the possessive pronouns 29 Of the relative pronouns 29-30 Of the demonstrative pronouns 30-31 Of _nei_, _na_, and _ra_ 30 Of the interrogative pronouns 31 Mode of supplying the defect of distributive pronouns 32 Of the indefinite pronouns 32-33

CHAP. VII. OF THE VERBS.

_Verbs_ primitive, derivative, and compound 34-35 Mood 35-36 Tense 36-38 Imperative mood 39-42 Paradigm of tense in simple sentences 42-52 Passive voice (table of examples) 48 ----remarks on 49 Verbal nouns (their formation) 51-52 Neuter verbs 52 Participial adjectives 53

CHAP. VIII. OF THE PREPOSITIONS.

List of prepositions 55-56 Remarks on them 56-64 Proper meaning of _na_, _ma_, &c. 64-72

CHAP. IX. OF THE ADVERBS.

Primitive and derivative adverbs 73-74 Classification and list of adverbs and adverbial expressions 74-86

CHAP. X. OF THE PARTICLES.

Atu, mai, ake, iho, ai, ano, ra, koa, u, hoki, kau 87-94

CHAP. XI.

Of the conjunctions 95-98

CHAP. XII.

Of the interjections 99-101

CHAP. XIII. OF THE SYNTAX.

_Preliminary Remarks._ Terms explained 102 Complex and incomplex propositions 103 Remarks on the general features of Maori 103-104 Epanorthosis 104-105

CHAP. XIV. SYNTAX OF THE ARTICLE.

_Ko_ an article 106 Its peculiar features 106-109 The omission of the article 109 _He_ and _te tahi_ 109-110 The particle _a_ 110-111

CHAP. XV. SYNTAX OF THE NOUN.

Nouns in apposition 112 Article prefixed to them 112 Preposition 113 Exceptions 113-114 Clauses in epanorthosis, irregularity of 114 The answer to a question, construction of 114-115

_Possessive Case denotes_ ----Intensity 115 ----Date of an act 115 ----Useful in predication 115 ----Used instead of other cases 116 ----Position of, when the governing word is twice repeated 116 ----Governing word often omitted 116 Material, or quality, of a thing how denoted by a substantive 116-117 The form of the substantive often used for that of the adjective 117

_Objective Case._ ----position of 117-118 How compound words govern others 118 _Kai_ prefixed to a verb 118 _Te_ prefixed to proper names 118 _Ngati_ and _rangi_ 118 _O_ and _A_, distinction between 118-120

CHAP. XVI. SYNTAX OF THE ADJECTIVES.

Position of adjectives 121 Verbal adjectives 121 Exceptions 121-122 Many adjectives to one substantive 122 One adjective to two or more substantives 122-123 Of the forms occasionally assumed by the adjective 123 Comparison of adjectives 123-125

CHAP. XVII.

SYNTAX OF NUMERALS.

Particles prefixed to numerals 126-127 Case following 127 Position of numeral 127 Repetition of numeral 127-128 _Tua_ and _whaka_ as numeral prefixes 128-129

CHAP. XVIII. SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS.

Position of pronouns 130 Often omitted 130-131 Singular and dual often denote a tribe 131 ----Other uses of 131 A Pronoun in the singular will refer to a noun in the plural 131 ----in the third person will refer to the first or second person 131-132 ----used for the conjunction _and_ 132 The noun belonging to the pronoun often omitted 132 _Relative Pronouns_, the substitutes for them 132-133

_Demonstrative Pronouns._ ----useful as auxiliaries 133 ----other peculiarities of 133-134 _Nei_, _na_, and _ra_ 134 Interrogative Pronouns (strange use of) 134-135

CHAP. XIX. SYNTAX OF THE VERB.

_The Verbal Particles._ _E_ 136-137 _Ana_ 137 _E--ana_ 138 _Ka_ 138-139 _I_ 139 _Kua_ 139-142 _Kia_ 143-144 _Kia_ and _ki te_, distinction between 144 Sometimes no verbal particle prefixed 144-145 _Ai_, as used in connexion with the verb 145-147 _Whaka_, uses of 147-149 Adverbs as auxiliaries 149 Defect of substantive verb, how supplied 149-150 Prepositions as auxiliaries 150 Tendency of Maori verb to assume the form of a substantive 150-152 The finite verb may follow the oblique case 152 Predication performed by the possessive case 152-155 Compound tenses 155 Other circumstances which affect the time or voice of a verb 155-159 Verbs associated to qualify each other 159 Repetition of verbs 159 ----of other words 159-160 _Passive verbs_, use of 160 Sometimes supplanted by the active 160-162 _Neuter verbs_ which assume the passive form 162

CHAP. XX. OF THE PREPOSITIONS, ADVERBS, AND CONJUNCTIONS.

163-167