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First Lessons in Maori
§ 19. Peculiarities of the articles
§ 19. Peculiarities of the articles.
(a) The articles, te, nga, taua, aua, and he are used only as adjuncts standing before a noun. This usage distinguishes them from the other definitives, any of which may be used absolutely, standing alone as the page 18 principal or primary in a sentence. The demonstrative, ia, standing alone is the personal pronoun for the third person singular.
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Nāku tēnei, nāu tēna, this is mine, that is yours.
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Nui ke atu tōu whare i tōku, your house is larger than mine.
(b) When a common noun is used to denote a class, as is often done in English by the use of the simple plural, use te in the singular, and not he.
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He pai te kūkū hei kai, pigeons are good for food.
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Te kūkū, the pigeon; i.e., pigeons in general.
(c) The use of taua or aua implies that the word to which it is applied has been mentioned before. It will generally be sufficiently translated by the, occasionally by that. It is sometimes used where the person or thing referred to, though not previously mentioned, is notorious or well known.
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Katahi ano taua tangata ra ka titiro whakatau atu, then the man looked intently.
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Tutaki ana i taua wahine nei e wero manu ana māna, he met the (well known) woman who was spearing birds for herself.
(d) Never use he after a preposition, but substitute tetahi.
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He tangata, a man.
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Ki tetahi tangata, to a man.