Front matter

A Grammar and Vocabulary of the Language of New Zealand.

Published by the Church Missionary Society.

London: Printed by R. Watts, and Sold by L. B. Seeley, Fleet Street; and John Hatchard & Son, Piccadilly.

Preface

In presenting the following Work to the Public, it may be necessary to explain, under what circumstances, and for what end, it has been undertaken.

Mr. Kendall, who had for several years resided as a Settler in New Zealand, under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society, having, returned early in the summer of the present year, with two Native Chiefs, to England, it was resolved by the Committee, that every advantage should be taken of this opportunity, for the purpose of settling the orthography, and, as far as possible, of reducing the language itself of New Zealand to the rules of Grammar, with a view to the furtherance of the Mission sent out to that country. For this end, Mr. Kendall was, with the Chiefs, sent to Cambridge, where he might have the opportunity of such retirement and assistance as would tend to advance the objects in question. After a residence there of about two months, the MS. of the work now presented to the Public was, with such assistance as I could render, completed, and put to Press. The materials had, for the most part, been previously collected in New Zealand, by Mr. Kendall: they received at Cambridge some additions, with the arrangement in which they now appear.

The furtherance of the Mission, sent out to New Zealand, for the double purpose of civilizing and evangelizing the Natives of that country, was the general object for which this work was undertaken.

The particular objects therefore kept in view in this compilation, were, in the first place, to make it useful to the New Zealanders themselves; and, in the second, to their Teachers—the Missionaries and Settlers.

With respect to the New Zealanders, care has been taken to represent their language in a manner as simple and unembarrassed as the nature of the subject and materials would admit. In doing this, the first point aimed at, was, to make the Alphabet as simple and comprehensive as possible, by giving the vowels and consonants such names and powers as were not likely to be burthensome to the memory or perplexing to the understanding: and for this end, the division into vowels, diphthongs, and consonants, as well as the names of each, as laid down in the Sanscrit Grammars, has been preferred; though the scantiness of the New-Zealand sounds has made it impracticable to follow their arrangement in every particular: it was not possible to illustrate every sound by English examples: some are therefore left to be learnt from the mouths of Natives. The next thing presented for the use of the New Zealander, is the Table of Syllables, which extends from page 2 to 8; and which, upon being well inculcated in the Schools, cannot fail of giving the learner a clear insight into the system of Alphabetical Writing; a thing hitherto unknown in that country.

The other particular object of the work, is the instruction of the European Missionary in the Language of New Zealand; whereby he may be enabled to communicate the blessings of Christian Instruction and Civil Improvement: and for this end it was, that Examples in declension and conjugation have been given, after the manner of European Grammars; when, in fact, there exists no such thing in the language in question; as is also the case in the Sister Dialects of Tonga and the Malayans: the declension of nouns being formed by the addition of particles or prepositions; and the conjugations of verbs, by the assistance of adverbs, pronouns, &c. which determine the person or tense required with sufficient accuracy. There is, moreover, nothing like the distinction of gender inherent in the forms of either verbs or nouns: whence it would follow, that words arranged in the order of Syntax would undergo no difference of form or termination from the influence of any other parts of speech: and hence it is, that so very little is given of Syntax, and that all that is given relates merely to the order of words.

The Vocabulary has been arranged according to the Alphabet laid down in the first page, (the New-Zealand words taking the lead,) principally with a view to the instruction of the Missionary in studying the Examples given in the body of the Grammar.

That either the Grammar or Vocabulary is as perfect as may be wished, no one will take upon himself to affirm: but when the unfavourable circumstances are considered, under which the materials have been collected and the work composed, it is hoped that it will be found not to fall very far short of reasonable expectation, both in extent and accuracy. At all events, a foundation has been laid; and we may hope, by the blessing of God, hereafter to see a fair superstructure.

As a means of rendering a future edition of this work more perfect, I should recommend to the Missionaries to get their copies interleaved; and daily to make such remarks on every part of the Grammar, as well as additions to the Vocabulary, as the extent of their information may enable them. I would also advise them daily to translate into the New-Zealand Language some portion of the Scriptures or the Liturgy, with a view to their final circulation throughout the Island. They would do well, moreover, to compose short Addresses, to be read to the People, on the history and character of Christianity, as well as Hymns and Psalms to be sung at the times of Divine Service. Copies of these Exercises should be sent home for the approval of the Committee, and with a view to preserve them, should any accident destroy the originals in New Zealand. By this means, not only would a knowledge of the language be thoroughly attained, but the happiest effects might be expected, both in engaging the mind of the Missionary in his proper work, and in exciting the attention of the Heathen around him to the knowledge of God and of themselves as exhibited in the Holy Scriptures.

Samuel Lee.

Cambridge November, 1820.

The Alphabet

THE ALPHABET.

Vowels. | Sound. | Vowels. | Sound.

LONG | SHORT

Á á | ... | as in father. | A a | ... | as in pad.

É é | ... | as a in bate. | E e | ... | as in bet.

Í í | ... | as ee in feet. | I i | ... | as in fit.

Ó ó | ... | as o in pole. | O o | ... | as o in pole, shortened.

Ú ú | ... | as oo in boot. | U u | ... | as oo in good.

Diphthongs. | Sound.

ai | as i, in mine, thine, &c.

au | as ou, in house, vulgarly in parts of Lincolnshire.

ei | as ay, in nay, nearly.

eu | a compound of the sounds of e and u, unknown in English.

oi | as oy in joy.

ou | as ou in the true pronunciation of house.

B b | ba | P p | pa

D d | da | R r | ra

F f | fa | used in Foreign words. | S s | sa

G g | ga | always hard, as in give. | T t | ta | Dental.

H h | ha | V v | va | used in Foreign words.

J j | ja | used in Foreign words. | W w | wa

K k | ka | X x | xa

L l | la | Y y | ya

M m | ma | Z z | za | used in Foreign words.

N n | na | ng NG | nga | as ng in King, &c.

Syllabarium

TABLE OF SYLLABLES.

bá ba dá da fá fa gá ga há ha ká ka

bé be dé de fé fe gé ge hé he ké ke

bí bi dí di fí fi gí gi hí hi kí ki

bó bo dó do fó fo gó go hó ho kó ko

bú bu dú du fú fu gủ gu hú hu kú ku

lá la má ma ná na pá pa rá ra sá sa

lé le mé me né ne pé pe ré re sé se

lí li mí mi ní ni pí pi rí ri sí si

ló lo mó mo nó no pó po ró ro só so

lú lu mú mu nú nu pủ pu rú ru sú su

tá ta vá va wá wa yá ya zá za

té te vé ve wé we yé ye zé ze

tí ti ví vi wí wi yí yi zí zi

tó to vó vo wó wo yó yo zó zo

tú tu vú vu wú wu yủ yu zú zu

bai bau boi bou dai dau doi dou hai hau hoi hou

kai kau koi kou mai mau moi mou nai nau noi nou

pai pau poi pou rai rau roi rou tai tau toi tou

wai wau woi wou yai yau yoi you zai zau zoi zou

Nasal Sounds.

TABLE OF SYLLABLES continued.

ádi ádu áha áhe áhi áho

áhu áka áke áki áku áma

ámi ámo ámu ána áne áni

áno ánu ápa ápe ápi ápo

ápu ára áre ári áro áru

áta áte áti átu áwa áwi

édu éhe éhu éke émo éno

épa épu ére éti éwa íai

ídi íhi íka íke íki íku

ími ína íne íno ínu íra

íro íta íti ítu íwa íwe

íwi ódi óka óki óko óku

óma óna óne óni óno ónu úta

ópa ópe óra óre óro óta úti

óte óti óto údi údu úha útu

úhi úka úke úku úma úme úwa

úmi úmu úna únu úpa úpe úwe

úpo úpu úra úre úro úru úwi

déa déu día díe dío díu

dúa dúe dúi dúo kéa kéi

kéo kéu kía kíe kíi kío

kíu kóa kóe kói kúa kúe

kúi méa mía mío móa móe

múa múi néo nía níi nío

níu nóa nói nóu núa núi

péa pée péi péo péu pía

píi pίο píu póa póe pói

póu púa púe púi réa réi

réo réu ría róa rói táe

táo táu téa téo téu tía

tío tíu tóa tóe tói tóu

túa túi wéa wéi wía wío

wíu aire audu aupa aute auwi

dídi diki díma dímu díno dípa

dípo dípu díro díte díto díya

dúdu dúku dútu háka hána hápa

hára háro kádu káha káhe káhi

káhu káka kaka káke káki káko

káma kámo kámu kána káne káni

káno kápa kápi kápo kápu kára

káre káta káti káto kátu kédi

kéhe kéke kére kéte kétu kídi

kíki kíko kína kíni kíno kíra

kíte kíwi kóhu kóki kóko kópa

kópe kópu kóra kóre kóro kóta

kóte kóti kóto kúdi kúdu kúhu

kúku kúma kúmi kúmu kúna kúne

kúpa kúpe kúpu kúra kúta kútu

mádu máha máhi

máku máma mámu

mápu mára máre

máte máti mátu

mére méte míhi

míru móka móki

máka máki máko

mána máno mánu

máro máta matá

máwa máwe máwi

mími míra míro

móko mómi móna

10.

móre móro móti mótu múdi múdu

múka múku múmu múna múne múra

múru múta múti mútu nádi náho

náhu náke náko náku námu nána

nánu nápa nápo nára náro náta

nátu náwa náwe néhe néke níke

11.

néne nóho nóke nóku nóna nóto

núku pádi pádu páhi páhu páka

páke páki páku pána páni pápa

pára páre páro páta pátu páwa

páwi pédu péhi péka péke péne

pépe pepe pére péro pídi píki

12.

píko píni pípi pipi píro píti

píto póhe póhu póka póke póki

póko póna póno pópo póro póru

póto pówa pówi púdu púka púke

púku púma púna púne púpu púra

púre púru púta púte pútu rána

13.

ráhi ráhu rára ráke ráko ráku

ráma rámo rámu rána ráno ránu

rápa rápu rára ráre ráro ráta

ráwa réhe réka réke réko répo

rére réte rídi ríki rímu rípi

ródi róke rómi róna róne róri

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

rúngi | tónga | waipa | ngádu | ngákau

tánga | túnga | waipu | ngáko | ngángi

tángi | túngo | wairo | ngáro | ngénge

téngi | wánga | wairu | ngátu | ngói

tínga | wángo | waiwa | ngóto | ngóngi

tíngi | kaúta | ngádi | ngútu | ngúngu

20.

ádinga | méanga | dúkunga | míminga

ádunga | méinga | dútunga | mútunga

ákinga | míinga | kákenga | pádunga

ékenga | móenga | kákonga | pákenga

ídinga | néinga | káninga | pápanga

íkinga | nóinga | káranga | párenga

ítinga | púanga | kárenga | pátunga

ókinga | réinga | kédinga | pídinga

ópenga | táinga | kíkinga | píkonga

óranga | tíinga | kítenga | pókanga

órenga | tóanga | kokónga | ponónga

ótinga | tóenga | kópanga | pútanga

údinga | tóinga | kórenga | rápunga

údunga | túanga | kótinga | ráwanga

útinga | túinga | kúdunga | rérenga

dúanga | wáinga | kúpanga | rétenga

dúinga | wéinga | kútanga | tádinga

káinga | wiunga | mádunga | tákanga

kíanga | dídinga | mákanga | tátanga

kíinga | díronga | maránga | táwinga

kóinga | dítenga | matángi | térenga

máinga | dúdunga | mátenga | tíkonga

tónonga | tútunga | wétengi | aráhi

tórengi | wádunga | wéngongo | aróha

túdinga | wáhanga | wídinga | aróhi

túkunga | wátinga | wítinga | atúa

túpunga | wátunga | ádue | ínoi

The Article

The vowel e is often used as an Indefinite Article, and has the same signification as the English Article a or an. The syllable te is also often used as a Definite Article, and has the same signification as the English article the; but it should be observed, that neither of these articles can be always used according to the rules of the English Language, the idiom of the New-Zealand Language being different.

Examples.

e mánu | a bird | te mánu | the bird

e mára | a farm | te mára | the farm

e máta | a face | te máta | the face

e púke | a hill | te púke | the hill

e púte | a bag | te púke | the bag

e rára | a rib | te rára | the rib

Exceptions.

The Article e will not always apply to Nouns of the Singular Number, as the Indefinite Article a or an in English; but is often used before Nouns Plural.

Examples.

|e púnga réu | |ashes

e kai máodi | sweet potatoes

e aróhi | fern roots

e díma | five

e díma te kau | fifty

e máha | many in number.

The Parts of Speech

The Parts of Speech are eight; the Article, the Noun, the Pronoun, the Verb, the Adverb, the Preposition, the Conjunction, and the Interjection.

The Nouns Substantive

OF NUMBER.

Nouns have two Numbers; the Singular and the Plural. The Plural is formed by prefixing the particle nga to the singular.

Examples.

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.

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.

4. Túki Túki hía te mánu, Kill the bird. Te mánu is the Accusative Case.

5. E mánu, O bird; Vocative.

6. Kóa pau te kai i te mánu, The food is eaten by the bird. I temánu is the Ablative Case.

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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | O parents

Abl. | 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. | 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.

Wahine—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 wahine tohúnga | a priestess.

E táne íka | a male fish.

E wahine íka | a female fish.

E táne mánu · · | a male bird.

E wahine mánu | a female bird.

Also,

E matúa táne | a father.

E matúa wahine | a mother.

E tupúna táne | a grandfather.

E tupúna wahine | a grandmother.

E ponónga táne | a man-servant.

E ponónga wahine | a maid-servant.

E kára rée touráwi | a male beast.

E kára rée úwha | a female beast.

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A Grammar and Vocabulary of the Language of New Zealand

About this book

Front matter

Preface

The Alphabet

Syllabarium

The Article

The Parts of Speech

The Nouns Substantive

The end

A Grammar and Vocabulary of the Language of New Zealand

About this book

Front matter

Preface

The Alphabet

Syllabarium

The Article

The Parts of Speech

The Nouns Substantive

The end

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