Accidentally telling someone to "go and die" - A & O nuances: Written in a book doesn't always mean it's correct.
Kia ora! So this week I found and interesting piece from one of the very first Maori grammar books written.
The phrase is "Mou tenei toki". The implied meaning is "For you is this axe", however the use of using "mou" here signals that the axe is to be used on said person, rather than being used by the person. This nuance of A & O can drastically change the intention of a phrase.
It reminds me of the awkward Coca-Cola ad "Kia ora Mate!"
Anyways I've included references to additional writings regarding A and O by Ray Harlow.
Ta Rei Harau - e noho a ana nga taputapu hei whakamahia ai e te tangata.
Small, portable objects which are owned by the possessor, eg books, toys, tools, cups. The reason for the a in these cases is control - the possessor controls, carries or manipulates the possessum. [pg. 141, A Maori Reference Grammar, Harlow.]
This one is from the Te Wiremu:
He nohoanga moku e ngaro ai ahau i toku hoa ngangare. - A resting place for me where I shall be hidden from my enemy. [pg. 73, Te Wiremu]
References for the whakatauki and pangapanga are below:
whakatauki - he kotuku kai whakaata.[pg. 28 Te Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo.]
pangapanga:
Ko whea te whenua e tu ana te hanganga nei a Ipo Tiketike ara, Eiffel Tower? - Wiwi, Parani, FranceNa wai te ruri rongonui nei a Romeo raua ko Hurieta, ara Romeo and Juliet? - Wiremu Hakipea - William ShakespeareKo te wahine nei a Mea i whakamaoritia ra taua pukapuka. Ko wai tona ingoa? - Te Haumihiata MasonI tangia ai te Mona Riha, ara Mona Lisa e wai? - Nihorarau Te Whiti - Leonardo DaVinciKo te tarakona nei, a Komoto, he kararehe aha a ia? - He mokomoko, he taniwha - Lizard.
A Maori Podcast
Kia ora! Welcome to this podcast! As per the title, it's a Maori podcast and I am Maori. I try to keep the podcast completely in Te Reo, this is mainly because I want to improve my own language skills, and the best way to do it is to completely speak the language. I share my insights into learning and improving my reo Maori skills especially as someone that doesn't reside back in the homeland. Hoi ano, nahaku noa, I hope that you enjoy this mahi, and I'm proud to be Maori and to share our language. Ko te reo kia rere!If you live abroad and need a place to hang out, I finally found a great hangout spot filled with Maori speakers here.Discord - Reo MaoriI also have a Patreon where I hope to add some additional value. You can find me here:https://patreon.com/amaoripodcastI am planning to start a regularly online space to korero. Details are here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/korero-space-for-153338068
- No. of episodes: 65
- Latest episode: 2026-04-01
- Education Language Learning Self-Improvement
Where can you listen?
