Otoroka kōrua ta'atoa!
How to make the macrons 'appear'
1/ To make the macrons appear, make sure you change the board style to "redIce", click here
http://forum.unilang.org/phpBB2/profile ... ditprofile.
2/ The following codes will add the line above the vowel -
Ā = &# 256; (with no spaces between the # and the first digit)
ā = &# 257;
Ē = &# 274;
ē = &# 275;
Ī = &# 298;
ī = &# 299;
Ō = &# 332;
ō = &# 333;
Ū = &# 362;
ū = &# 363;
Macrons are important as they mark vowel length. A vowel with a macron is pronounced twice as long as a vowel with no macron. Apologies for the vowel length in this lesson, it's not all accurately marked yet. I'm still learning Rapa Nui myself.
I just want to say for those of you who are reading you've just taken the first big step to learning another language. I want you to know what you are doing is notable and honourable and the Rapa Nui people will love you for it.
I want this group to be a Pupa Vananga, a language nest. That is, a place where we can all learn and value what each of us has to share.
Te Vānanga Rapa Nui is a language that I have learnt a lot about, but I am in no way an expert at the language. Therefore, by having us meet regularly to vananga and to work on the lessons I submit, my fluency and certainly your fluency will increase in the language.
I will be acting as the mäori (instructor, teacher) for these lessons.
The letters are
A, E, I, O, U (the vowels, which can be lengthened)
H, K, M, N, NG (OR G), P, R, T, V (the consonants)
' <--- the aspirate
NOTE ON THE 'NG' AND 'G'
Both are pronounced the same. They are pronounced as the ng in singer (without the si or the er part). It has become custom on the island to write the 'ng' as 'g' now. So ma'uga and ma'unga are the same word. Both will be accepted as being correct.
Pronunciation Guide
All consonants are how you would pronounce them in English, however, the 'r' is pronounced as an 'r/d' sound and not a 'r/l' (rolled Japanese r). P is more of a p/b sound and the t can be pronounced as a 'ts' depending on which vowels follow it. However, an English pronunciation of p and t is ok, but not as good as the real 'Rapa Nui' one
.
The vowels are pronounced as you would pronounce them in Spanish, Japanese, Hawai`ian, Tahitian, Tongan etc.
A = Ah
E = Eh
I = EE
O = AW
U = OO
You can remember the pronounciation by this silly sentence -
Ah they eat walls too?
Each lesson will consist of a dialogue, with a Rapa Nui and an English version, as well as explainations of what each part of it means. Following the dialogue there will be a vocabulary list, and some homework exercises.
Dialogue
Vaka : Aroha, ko ai tō'ou ingoa?
Riu : Aroha, ko riu töku ingoa, ko ai tō'ou?
Vaka : Ko Vaka töku, ō hē mai koe?
Riu : Ō Rarotonga mai au, ō hē koe?
Vaka : Ō Rapa Nui au, maruaki koe?
Riu : Ina, matevai au
Vaka : Ka oho mai ki roto,
Riu : Ina, maururu, ka oho atu au ki te umu I te oneone, e oho mai koe?
Vaka : Ee, e oho atu au ki te umu
Riu : E kite atu hakaou au ki a koe I reira, 'iorana
Vaka : Ee, e kite atu hakaou au ki a koe I reira I te ahiahi nei, 'iorana.
(English)
Vaka : Hey, what's your name?
Riu : Hey, my name is Riu, what's yours?
Vaka : My name is Vaka, where are you from?
Riu : I'm from Rarotonga, where are you from?
Vaka : I'm from Rapa Nui, are you hungry?
Riu : No, but I'm dying for water
Vaka : Come inside,
Riu : No thanks, I have to go to the umu at the beach, are you going?
Vaka : Yes, I'll be going to the umu
Riu : I'll see you again there, see you
Vaka : Yes, I'll see you again there this afternoon, bye.
Iorana/otoroka/aroha - greetings
What is your name?
Ko ai tō'ou /tuu ingoa?
Ko Tāne Te Ariki tōku ingoa.
Ko ai tō'ou ingoa hakaponoko Tāne Te Ariki?
Ko Riki tō'oku ingoa hakaponoko.
Where are you from?
Ō hē mai koe?
I'm from Aotearoa
Ō Aotearoa mai au.
Pēhē/Pahē - How
To say how are you in Rapa Nui you say -
Pēhē;/Pahe koe? How are you?
You might reply -
Riva au - I'm good
Kino au - I'm bad
Rakerake au - I'm really bad
Maruaki au - I'm hungry
If you want to ask a group of people how they are, you say -
Pēhē/pahe kōua ta'atoa? How are all of you?
What if you wanted to say 'this morning/afternoon/tonight/today'?
You would say -
Pēhē koe i te ...(time).... nei
E.g.
Pēhē koe i te 'otea nei?
How are you this midday (no English equivalent).
Etahi Kupu Ho'ou - New Words
'Iorana - Hi, bye (from Tahitian 'Ia Orāna)
Aroha - Hey, greetings
Koe - you (singular)
Kōrua - you (plural)
Au - I/me
Ta'atoa - All
Auē - Interjection of sadness
Maori - Teacher, intelligent, clear, lucid
Mā`ohi - Polynesian
Maruaki - Hungry
Matevai - Thirsty (for water)
Koa - Joy, happy, love
veri/nehe - beautiful
matenga - death, sickness
ata - morning
'otea - midday
ahiahi - afternoon
po - night
Noho mai - sit
Tomo mai - enter
Ka oho mai - welcome
tano'a - correct
me'e - thing
i te hora nei - now
anira/arina - soon, now
Ee - yes
Ina - no
Ingoa - name
Ingoa hakaponoko - nickname
Riva - good
Kino - bad
Rakerake - really bad
Pahe/Pēhē - how
Homework -
To maintain what you learn, it's important for you to do this part, as it allows you to put in to practice what you have learnt from the lesson. Please present these to the class.
1/Pretend you live in Hangaroa, and you have met a stranger on the other side of town, attending to their garden and you want to say hello. Start up a conversation with this stranger, ask how they are and where they are from.
2/Play the part of the stranger. Invite the person you played before in to your house and show them Polynesian hospitality. It's not what you have to offer, it's how you offer it.