VOWELS

The vowels sometimes interchange with each other. The following may serve as examples:—

A and E.—Tutai, a spy, tutei; hapa, crooked, hape; hura, to search, hure; ngawhara, to crumble, ngawhere; ngarahu, charcoal, ngarehu; ngangara, to snarl, ngengere; tora, to burn, tore; tawatawa, a mackerel, tewetewe.

A and I.—Rari, to make a loud confused noise, rara; tara, rays of the sun, tira..

A and O.—Kanohi, the eye, konohi; hopua, hollowed, hapua; nati, to constrict, noti; purau, a fork, purou; houhou, cool, hauhau; tora to burn, toro.

A and U.—Kanapa, bright, kanapu; rakaraka, to scratch, rakuraku; hawini, to shiver with cold, huwini.

A Lost.—Ngaoki, to creep, ngoki.

E and I.—Ngaingai, shells, ngaengae; niti, a dart, neti.

E and O.—Tore, to burn, toro.

E and U.—Kame, to eat, kamu.

I and A.—As A and I ante.

I and E.—As E and I ante.

I and O.—Hapoki, a pit for storing potatoes, hapoko; hinga, to lean, honga; hopi, to be afraid hopo; ngahiri, to be abundant, ngahoro.

I and U.—Ito, an object of revenge, uto; inu, to drink, unu; himu, the hip-bone, humu; iho, the heart of a tree, uho.

I Lost.—Hutoitoi, stunted, hutotoi.

O and A.—As A and O ante.

O and E.—As E and O ante.

O and I.—As I and O ante.

O and U.—Hotoke, winter, hutoke; ngoro, to snore, nguru.

U and A.—As A and U ante.

U and E.—As E and U ante.

U and I.—As I and U ante.

U and O.—As O and U ante.

U Lost.—Hauware, saliva, haware; houkeke, obstinate, hokeke; toukeke, churlish, tokeke.