E PARAU TATOU I TE REO RAROTONGA
:: The Rarotongan Language Page ::
Rarotongan, also sometimes called Rarotongan Maori, is a language spoken on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. It's also commonly understood across the Cook Islands, as is English. It's closely related to Tahitian, as well as many other Polynesian languages, but with some significant differences particular to Cook Islands languages. The Cook Islands are about 900km west of Tahiti, and aren't actually part of French Polynesia but are in free association with New Zealand. Note that even though this language is sometimes called Rarotongan Maori, Maori and Rarotongan are not the same language.
The letters of the language are as follows:
Short vowels a, e, i, o and u.
Long vowels á, é, í, ó and ú.
Consonants k, m, n, ng, p, r, t, v and the glottal stop '. Occasionally, h is also used, but words using this letter come from other Polynesian languages.
Click here to see a song in Rarotongan.
'au |
|
peace |
|
'e a'a moni? |
how much? |
||
'e 'ia? |
|
how many? |
|
'enua |
|
land |
|
'itu |
|
seven |
|
'oire |
|
village |
|
a |
|
four |
|
aere ra |
|
goodbye (to s.o leaving) |
|
aia |
|
he, she, it |
|
aka- |
|
causative |
|
akara |
|
look |
|
akarakara |
|
look around |
|
akarongo |
|
listen |
|
ariki |
|
chief |
|
Atua |
|
God |
|
au |
|
I, me |
|
e |
|
imperative, intentive |
|
e |
|
vocative |
|
e a'a |
|
what? |
|
ei |
|
garland |
|
haere |
|
go |
|
he'e |
|
go |
|
henua |
|
land |
|
here |
|
love, beauty |
|
hoki |
|
return, come back |
|
huri |
|
return, come back |
|
inangaro |
|
want, desire |
|
ine |
|
love, beauty |
|
ingoa |
|
name |
|
iti |
|
small |
|
iva |
|
nine |
|
kare |
|
no, not |
|
kare |
|
zero |
|
kare |
|
zero |
|
kava |
|
kava drink |
|
ki |
|
object, in, at, on |
|
ki teia ra |
|
today |
|
kia |
|
object marker |
|
kiaorana |
|
hello |
|
kite |
|
see, know |
|
ko |
|
name announcer |
|
ko 'ai? |
|
who? |
|
koe |
|
you |
|
korua |
|
you two |
|
koutou |
|
you all |
|
mai |
|
come; from |
|
maitaki |
|
good |
|
mama |
|
mother |
|
manako |
|
think |
|
manea |
|
eternal |
|
marae |
|
temple |
|
mataora |
|
happy |
|
maunga |
|
mountain |
|
moana |
|
ocean |
|
ngati |
|
clan |
|
nga'uru |
|
ten |
|
no'o |
|
sit, live |
|
no'o ra |
|
goodbye (to s.o staying) |
|
ono |
|
six |
|
papa |
|
father |
|
papa'a |
|
European |
|
pareu |
|
sarong |
|
pe'ea? |
|
how? |
|
po |
|
evening |
|
popongi |
|
morning |
|
pupu |
|
seashell |
|
purotu |
|
beauty, young woman |
|
ra |
|
day |
|
rangi |
|
sky |
|
reo |
|
voice, language |
|
rima |
|
five |
|
roto |
|
lake |
|
rua |
|
two |
|
ta'atai |
|
beach |
|
ta'i |
|
one |
|
Ta'iti |
|
Tahiti |
|
ta'ito |
|
ancient times |
|
taku |
|
my, mine |
|
tamáine |
|
daughter |
|
tamároa |
|
son |
|
táne |
|
man, husband |
|
te |
|
the; noun announcer |
|
tei 'ea? |
|
where? |
|
teia |
|
this |
|
tera |
|
that |
|
tiki |
|
Tiki |
|
toku |
|
my, mine |
|
toru |
|
three |
|
umu |
|
oven |
|
umukai |
|
feast |
|
va'ine |
|
woman, wife |
|
vao rakau |
|
land |
|
varu |
|
eight |
|
Here's a conversation between a visitor to Rarotonga, Mary, and a Rarotongan called Ioane.
He'e ko Mary ki Rarotonga. Kite aia e táne.
| Ioane: | E va'ine! Kiaorana koe! | ||
| Mary: | Kiaorana koe! Ko 'ai tou ingoa? | ||
| Ioane: | Ko Ioane toku ingoa. E koe? | ||
| Mary: | Ko Mary toku ingoa. E Rarotonga koe? | ||
| Ioane: | 'E, mai Rarotonga au. No'o au ki teia vao rakau. E koe? | ||
| Mary: | No'o au ki Ta'iti ki teia ra. Mai Peretani au. | ||
| Ioane: | Aue! Maitaki koe ki te reo rarotonga, e? | ||
| Mary: | E he he, nó kite au ki te reo Ta'iti! |
And here's the English translation!
Mary goes to Rarotonga. She sees a man.
| Ioane: | Hey there! Hello! | ||
| Mary: | Hello! What's your name? | ||
| Ioane: | My name is Ioane. And you? | ||
| Mary: | My name is Mary. Are you Rarotongan? | ||
| Ioane: | Yes, I'm from Rarotonga. I live in this land. And you? | ||
| Mary: | I live in Tahiti at the moment. I am British | ||
| Ioane: | Wow! You're good at Rarotongan! | ||
| Mary: | E he he, it's because I learnt Tahitian! |
Click here to see a song in Rarotongan.
Copyright (c) 2002-2008 Bruce Rimell : All images, artwork, writings, texts and other information on this site
are copyrighted to Bruce Rimell and may not be reproduced in any form unless stated otherwise.