First Lessons in Maori

§ 22

§ 22.

The difference between a and o, which applies also to na, no, ma, mo, ta, to, taku, toku, etc., is this: a is used in speaking of ( a) transitive actions including works accomplished or in progress, ( b) movable property, instruments, ( c) food, ( d) husband, wife, children, slaves, etc.; o in speaking of ( e) intransitive actions, ( f) parts of anything, names, qualities, ( g) feelings, ( h) houses, land, canoes, ( i) inhabitants, ( j) water for drinking, medicine, clothes, ( k) parents, and other relatives (except husband tane, wife wahine, and children or grandchildren with their collaterals; but uri takes o), superiors, companions (including hoa when applied to husband or wife), also ( l) with derivative nouns ( §§ 58 and 68) of adjectives, participles, and intransitive verbs and with those of transitive verbs when they are used in a passive sense.

Examples.
( a) Te tahunga a Raumati i a Te Arawa, Raumati's burning of the Arawa (canoe).
( b) Nga tao a Manaia, Manaia's spears.
( c) He kai mau, food for you.
( d) Te wahine a Rua me ana tamariki, Rua's wife and his children.
( e) To raua totohe ki a raua, their contending with one another.
( f) Te pakitara o te whare, the wall of the house.
( g) Te aroha o Kuiwai ki a Manaia, Kuiwai's love for Manaia.
( h) Te whare o Tinirau, Tinirau's house.
( i) Nga tangata o tenei motu, the men of this island.
( j) He wai mo Te Ponga, some water for Te Ponga.
( k) Nga tungane me nga teina o to raua whaea, the brothers and younger sisters of their mother.
( l) Te hokinga o Kupe ki Hawaiki, Kupe's return to Hawaiki. Te tahunga o Te Arawa e Raumati, the burning of the Arawa ( canoe) by Raumati.
( m) Taku ingoa ( f) mou, my name for you (i.e., the name which I have given you).