Of Number.
Nouns have two Numbers; the Singular and the Plural. The Plural is formed by prefixing the particle
nga to the singular.
Examples.
íka |
a fish |
nga íka |
fishes |
ínu |
oil |
nga ínu |
oils |
kai |
sweet potatoe, |
nga kai |
sweet potatoes |
wai |
water |
nga wai |
waters |
wáo |
nail |
nga wáo |
nails |
wáre |
house |
nga wáre |
houses. |
Of Case.
The Cases of Nouns Substantive are thus distinguished:
1. |
E kai ána te mánu, The bird eats.
Te mánu is the Nominative Case Singular.
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2. |
E ou no te mánu, A feather of the bird.
No te mánu is the Genitive Case.
|
3. |
O átu te táro ki te mánu, Give the food to the bird.
Ki te mánu is the Dative Case.
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4. |
Túki Túki hía te mánu, Kill the bird.
Te mánu is the Accusative Case.
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5. |
E mánu, O bird; Vocative.
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6. |
Kóa pau te kai i te mánu, The food is eaten by the bird.
I te mánu is the Ablative Case.
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Note.—When, in expressing the Genitive Case of a Noun Substantive, personal acquisition of property is denoted as well as possession, the syllable
na is used instead of
no.
Examples.
Ránga tíra, A Gentleman.
Singular.
Nom. |
Te ránga tíra |
the gentleman |
Gen. |
No te ránga tíra |
of,
or belonging to the gentleman |
|
Na te ránga tíra |
of,
or belonging to the gentleman |
Dat. |
Ki te ránga tíra |
to the gentleman |
Acc. |
Te ránga tíra |
the gentleman |
Voc. |
*E mara |
O gentleman,
or O person |
Abl. |
I te ránga tíra |
by the gentleman. |
Plural.
Nom. |
Nga ránga tíra |
the gentlemen |
Gen. |
No nga ránga tira |
of,
or belonging to the gentlemen |
|
Na nga ránga tíra |
of,
or belonging to the gentlemen |
Dat. |
Ki nga ránga tíra |
to the gentlemen |
Acc. |
Nga ránga tíra |
the gentlemen |
Voc. |
E mára ma |
O gentlemen,
or O persons |
Abl. |
I nga ránga, tíra |
by the gentlemen. |
Another Form of the Plural Number.
Nom. |
Te ánga ránga tíra |
the gentlemen |
Gen. |
No te ánga ránga tíra, |
of the gentlemen |
Dat. |
Ki te ánga ránga tíra, |
to the gentlemen |
Acc. |
Te ánga ránga tíra |
the gentlemen |
Voc. |
E mára ma |
O gentlemen,
or O persons |
Abl. |
I te ánga ránga tíra |
by the gentlemen. |
Táka; the proper name Táka.
Singular.
Nom. |
Táka |
Táka |
Gen. |
No Táka, To Táka |
of,
or belonging to Táka |
|
Na Táka, Ta Taka |
of,
or belonging to Táka |
Dat. |
Ki a
* Táka |
to Táka |
Acc. |
Táka |
Táka |
Voc. |
E Táka |
O Táka |
Abl. |
I a Táka |
by Táka. |
Móka; the proper name Moka.
Singular.
Nom. |
Móka |
Móka |
Gen. |
No Móka |
of,
or belonging to Móka |
|
Na Móka |
of,
or belonging to Móka |
Dat. |
Ki a Móka |
to Móka |
Acc. |
Móka |
Móka |
Voc. |
E Móka |
O Móka |
Abl. |
I a Móka |
by Móka. |
Matúa, a Parent.
Singular.
Nom. |
Matúa |
the parent,
or a parent |
Gen. |
No te matúa |
of,
or belonging to the parent |
Dat. |
Ki te matúa |
to the parent |
Acc. |
Te matúa |
the parent |
Voc. |
E kara,
or E pá |
O parent |
Abl. |
I te matúa |
by the parent. |
Plural.
Nom. |
Nga matúa |
the parents |
Gen. |
No nga matúa |
of,
or belonging to the parents |
Dat. |
Ki nga matúa |
to the parents |
Acc. |
Nga matúa |
the parents |
Voc. |
E pá má |
parents |
Abl. |
I nga matúa,
or |
by the parents. |
|
I te matúa |
by the parents. |
Táma íti, a Son: (contracted, Tamaiti.)
Singular.
Nom. |
Táma íti |
the son,
or a son |
Gen. |
No te táma íti |
of,
or belonging to the son |
Dat. |
Ki te táma íti |
to the son |
Acc. |
Te táma íti |
the son |
Voc. |
E koro,
or E táma |
O son |
Abl. |
I te táma íti |
by the son. |
Plural.
Nom. |
Nga táma níki |
the sons |
Gen. |
No nga táma níki |
of,
or belonging to the sons |
Dat. |
Ki nga táma níki |
to the sons |
Acc. |
Nga táma níki |
the sons |
Voc. |
E koro ma |
O sons |
Abl. |
I nga táma níki |
by the sons. |
Another Form of the Plural Number.
Nom. |
Te ánga táma níki |
the sons,
or boys |
Gen. |
No te ánga táma níki, |
of,
or belonging to the sons, &c. |
Dat. |
Ki te ánga táma níki, |
to the sons
or boys |
Acc. |
Te ánga táma níki, |
the sons
or boys |
Voc. |
E koro ma |
O sons,
or O boys |
Abl. |
I te ánga táma níki, |
by the sons
or boys. |
Táma íne, a Daughter.
Singular.
Nom. |
Táma íne |
the daughter,
or a daughter |
Gen. |
No te táma íne |
of,
or belonging to the daughter |
Dat. |
Ki te táma íne |
to the daughter |
Acc. |
Te táma íne |
the daughter |
Voc. |
E ko |
O daughter,
or O girl |
Abl. |
I te táma íne |
by the daughter. |
Plural.
Nom. |
Nga táma íne |
the daughters |
Gen. |
No nga táma íne |
of,
or belonging to the daughters |
Dat. |
Ki nga táma íne |
to the daughters |
Acc. |
Nga táma íne |
the daughters |
Voc. |
E ko ma |
O daughters,
or O girls |
Abl. |
I nga táma íne,
or |
by the daughters. |
|
I te ánga táma íne |
by the daughters. |
Of Gender.
The distinction of Gender, in this language, is generally made by adding the word signifying male or female.
The words which denote the different sexes are the following; viz.
Táne—a male as he is in alliance with the female, or as he is the husband of a wife.
Wahíne—a female as she is in alliance with the male, or as she is the wife of her husband.
Touráwi—any male.
Uwha—any female.
Examples.
E táne tohúnga |
a priest. |
E wahíne tohúnga |
a priestess. |
E táne íka |
a male fish. |
E wahíne íka |
a female fish. |
E táne mánu |
a male bird. |
E wahíne mánu |
a female bird. |
Also,
E matúa táne |
a father. |
E matúa wahíne |
a mother. |
E tupúna táne |
a grandfather. |
E tupúna wahíne |
a grandmother. |
E ponónga táne |
a man-servant. |
E ponónga wahíne |
a maid-servant. |
E kára rée touráwi |
a male beast. |
E kára rée úwha |
a female beast. |