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
31 core words in Cook Islands Māori
Water
vai
/vai/
Fire
ahi
/ahi/
Sun
rā
/raː/
Moon
marama
/marama/
Star
etū
/eˈtuː/
Mother
māmā
/maːmaː/
Father
pāpā
/paːpaː/
I
au
/au/
You
koe
/koe/
Name
ingoa
/iˈŋoa/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
rima
/ɾima/
Heart
ngākau
/ŋaːkau/
Love
aro'a
/aɾoʔa/
Tree
rākau
/raːkau/
House
'are
/ʔaɾe/
Dog
kurī
/kuɾiː/
Cat
ngiao
/ŋiao/
Eat
kai
/kai/
Drink
inu
/inu/
One
ta'i
/taʔi/
Two
rua
/ˈrua/
Hello
kia orāna
/kia oɾaːna/
Thank you
meitaki
/meitaki/
Good
meitaki
/meitaki/
Cuckoo
karavia
/kaɾaˈvia/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Polynesian, Tahitic) languages
| Meaning | Cook Islands Māori | Māori | Tuvaluan | Rapanui | Niuean | Tokelauan | Tuamotuan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /wai/ |
| Fire | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | rā /raː/ | rā /ɾaː/ | laa /laː/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | lā /laː/ | la /la/ | ra /ra/ |
| Moon | marama /marama/ | marama /maɾama/ | masina /masina/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | malama /malama/ | marama /marama/ |
| Star | etū /eˈtuː/ | whetū /ɸɛtuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | hetuʻu /heˈtuʔu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetu /fetu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ |
| Mother | māmā /maːmaː/ | whaea /ɸaea/ | maatua /maːtua/ | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | mātua /maːtua/ | metua vahine /metua vahine/ |
| Father | pāpā /paːpaː/ | matua /matua/ | tamana /tamana/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | metua tane /metua tane/ |
| I | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | karu /ˈkaɾu/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | rima /ɾima/ | ringa /ɾiŋa/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /rima/ |
| Heart | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | fatu /fatu/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | — /—/ |
| Love | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | aroha /aɾoha/ | alofa /alofa/ | hanga /haŋa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | aroha /ʔaroha/ |
| Tree | rākau /raːkau/ | rākau /ɾaːkau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | akau /akau/ | lakau /lakau/ | rait /rait/ |
| House | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | whare /ɸaɾe/ | fale /fale/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fare /fare/ |
| Dog | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | kuli /kuli/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuri /kuri/ |
| Cat | ngiao /ŋiao/ | ngeru /ŋeɾu/ | pusi /pusi/ | kati /kati/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | ta'i /taʔi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Two | rua /ˈrua/ | rua /ɾua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | rua /ˈrua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | rua /rua/ |
| Hello | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | kia ora /kia oɾa/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | meitaki /meitaki/ | ngā mihi /ŋaː mihi/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | — /—/ |
| Good | meitaki /meitaki/ | pai /pai/ | lei /lei/ | riva /ɾiva/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | maiata /maiata/ |
| Cuckoo | karavia /kaɾaˈvia/ | koekoeā /kɔɛkɔɛˈaː/ | — | — | — | — | — |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.