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A Maori Podcast
Kia ora! This week I thought I would cover a topic that has tripped up a lot of us. I hope that this episode can give us greater confidence when figuring out which form to use.
Whakatauki - He haka kia titoia? - Can one haka without previous practice? [Maori Sayings and Proverbs, Murdoch Riley, 2-10]
Harlow gives the following examples on demonstrating how to know when to use the neutral form: [A Maori Reference Grammar, pg. 64]
1. The determiner must not be immediately followed by a postposed particle.
Tōku nei whare - This house of mine. (but not taku nei whare.)
Āna ake tamariki - His/Her own children. (but not ana ake tamariki.)
2. There must be a noun as head of the whole phrase. The full-form determiners are among those which can be used without a head noun.
Kua pakaru taku pene. Tēnā hōmai tētahi o āu. - I've broken my pen. Can I have one of yours, please? (but not Hōmai tētahi o ō.)
3. The neutral possessive determiners are never stressed. if one wants to emphasise that one is talking about my house, as opposed to yours or hers, then the full forms must be used.
Ka tū te pō whakangahau ki tōku whare, kaua ki tōna - The party is at my place, not his.
(but not ka tū te pō whakangahau ki taku whare kaua ki tana.)