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First Lessons in Maori

§ 6

§ 6.

The Singular Personal Pronouns ahau, koe, ia, are replaced respectively by -ku, -u, -na, when they follow any of the possessive prepositions, a, o, na, no, ma, mo; or the possessive particles, ta and to (which are equivalent to the article te, with the prepositions a and o). Owing to this irregularity the preposition and pronoun in each case are generally written as one word. (Compare §§ 18 and 22.)

Ahau, I; āku, or ōku, of me; nāku, or nōku, belonging to me, mine; māku or mōku, for me; tāku, or tōku, my (literally, te a ku, the..of me).

Koe, thou; āu, or ōu, of thee; nāu, or nōu, belonging to thee, thine; māu, or mōu, for thee; tāu, or tōu, thy.

(Tŏ and ŏ are sometimes used for tāu and āu.)

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Ia, he or she; āna, or ōna, of him or her; nāna, or nōna, belonging to him or her, his or hers; māna, or mōna, for him or for her; tāna, or tōna, his or her.