Reo Māori Kuki Āirani
Cook Islands Māori
Austronesian (Polynesian, Tahitic)
Cook Islands Māori (Reo Māori Kuki Āirani) is the indigenous language of the Cook Islands, with ~13K speakers in the Cook Islands themselves and a substantial diaspora in New Zealand (where most ethnic Cook Islanders now live, ~80K). Closely related to New Zealand Māori and Tahitian within the Tahitic Polynesian subgroup. Each inhabited island has its own distinctive variety (Rarotongan, Aitutakian, Mangaian, Atiuan, etc.), with Rarotongan as the de facto standard. Co-official with English in the Cook Islands. Uses Latin orthography with macrons (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) for vowel length.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Cook Islands Māori
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
rā
/raː/
Moon
marama
/marama/
Mother
māmā
/maːmaː/
Father
pāpā
/paːpaː/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
Love
aro'a
/aɾoʔa/
Heart
ngākau
/ŋaːkau/
Tree
rākau
/raːkau/
House
'are
/ʔaɾe/
Dog
kurī
/kuɾiː/
Cat
ngiao
/ŋiao/
Hand
rima
/ɾima/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
kia orāna
/kia oɾaːna/
Thank you
meitaki
/meitaki/
One
ta'i
/taʔi/
Good
meitaki
/meitaki/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Tahitic) languages
| Meaning | Cook Islands Māori | Māori | Tuvaluan | Tahitian | Niuean | Rapanui | Tokelauan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ | pape /pape/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | auahi /auahi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | rā /raː/ | rā /ɾaː/ | laa /laː/ | mahana /mahana/ | lā /laː/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | la /la/ |
| Moon | marama /marama/ | marama /maɾama/ | masina /masina/ | marama /maɾama/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | malama /malama/ |
| Mother | māmā /maːmaː/ | whaea /ɸaea/ | maatua /maːtua/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | matuʻa /matuʔa/ | matua /matua/ |
| Father | pāpā /paːpaː/ | matua /matua/ | tamana /tamana/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | ʻamu /ʔamu/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | aroha /aɾoha/ | alofa /alofa/ | here /heɾe/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | hanga /haŋa/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Heart | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | fatu /fatu/ | mafatu /mafatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Tree | rākau /raːkau/ | rākau /ɾaːkau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | tumu rāʻau /tumu ɾaːʔau/ | akau /akau/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | lakau /lakau/ |
| House | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | whare /ɸaɾe/ | fale /fale/ | fare /faɾe/ | fale /fale/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kuli /kuli/ | ʻūrī /ʔuːɾiː/ | kuli /kuli/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | kuli /kuli/ |
| Cat | ngiao /ŋiao/ | ngeru /ŋeɾu/ | pusi /pusi/ | mīmī /miːmiː/ | pusi /pusi/ | kati /kati/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | rima /ɾima/ | ringa /ɾiŋa/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | kanohi /kanohi/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | kia ora /kia oɾa/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | ʻia ora na /ʔia oɾa na/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | malo ni /malo ni/ |
| Thank you | meitaki /meitaki/ | ngā mihi /ŋaː mihi/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | māuruuru /maːuɾuuɾu/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ |
| One | ta'i /taʔi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | hōʻē /hoːʔeː/ | taha /taha/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Good | meitaki /meitaki/ | pai /pai/ | lei /lei/ | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | riva /ɾiva/ | lelei /lelei/ |
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