W. L. Williams

“ The only inflexion of the original form of the verb is in the formation of the Passive Voice, and consists in the addition of a Passive termination to the Active form.
Differences of Tense are denoted by certain auxiliary particles, the same form in each case serving for all persons and numbers. Some of these particles vary, or are differently used in negative sentences, and some of the tenses have their own peculiar negative adverb, and admit of no other, as will be seen in the following example. ”

“ Substantive Verb. In English, when the prædicate is not a verb, the verb "to be", commonly called the substantive verb, is used to connect the prædicate with its subject. This verb has no equivalent in Maori, but its place is supplied by the relative position of the different words in the sentence.
§ 31. In affirmative Sentences, the prædicate stands first, and the subject after it; and two nouns, or an adjective and noun, placed in these relative positions form a sentence although without a verb. ”

“ Pronounce the three letters successively with the Maori vowel a, thus; ka, ga, nga, and practise this till the letter is mastered.
The vowels have each but one sound, though they may all vary in length in different words. [5] When two stand together in a word, the first of the two is generally pronounced more strongly than the other. The doubling of a vowel amounts simply to a lengthening of it.
The consonants always stand singly, and every syllable ends with a vowel. ”

“ When the prædicate consists of many words, the most emphatic word generally stands alone in the place of the prædicate, the rest being placed after the subject. This is the case when the prædicate contains an explanatory or a relative clause ”

“ The passive voice is formed [35] generally by the addition of one of the following terminations to the active: -a, -ia, -hia, -kia, -mia, -ngia, -ria, -tia, -whia, -na, -ina. No rule can be laid down which termination is to be used with any given verb: some form the passive with one only, others again with several; the passive termination, therefore, of each verb must be learnt with the active.
Those verbs which have the first syllable doubled in the active drop the repetition in the passive ”

“ When a possessive follows any other definitive, except he, always use either of the prepositions a, or o, never na, or no.
Examples.
Te pukapuka a Pita, Pita's book.
Tenei taha oku, this side of me.
Taua whara o Hemi, that house of Hemi's.
§ 18. Of the Demonstratives, tena denotes that the thing spoken of is near, or in some way connected with the person spoken to; tera, that it is at a distance from or unconnected with either the speaker or the person spoken to; taua, that it has [16] been already mentioned. Ia is generally used distributively for each, both it and the noun being repeated. ”

“ When the preposition is ma or mo signifying for, use ehara i te mea, retaining the preposition.
Ehara i te mea mau te pukapuka, the book is not for you.
[28]
When the preposition is hei signifying at, or in possession of, use kauaka.
Examples.
Kauaka hei kona te pukapuka, let not the book be there.
Kauaka hei a Hemi taku pu, let not my gun be in the possession of Hemi.
When the preposition is kei, or i signifying at, or in possession of, use kahore for the negative, with the preposition i only and never kei.
Examples.
Kei hea te hoiho? Kahore i konei. Where is the horse? It is not here. ”

“ X. ADVERBS. § 67. Position. The following adverbs, tino, very; maatua, first; and ata, gently, quite, always stand before the words which they qualify; other adverbs after the qualified words.
Examples.
He tangata tino pai, a very good man.
Kia maatua rapua te toki, first let the axe be looked for.
He kino rawa tena, that is very bad.
§ 68. Added Terminations. Other adverbs, which have reference to the manner, intensity &c. of an action when they qualify, have the passive termination -tia added to them when used with passive verbs, and the termination -tanga when used with verbal nouns. ”

“ Interrogative Sentences do not differ in form from those which are not interrogative. Those which are not essentially such from the meaning of the words, are shewn to be so by the tone with which they are uttered. ”

“ Ko Hemi tona ingoa, his name is Hemi.
Ko toku whare tera, that is my house.
§ 33. Without "ko". Make a sentence without ko when the prædicate is either
1. A common noun, an adjective, or a verb with the article he.
2. A noun or pronoun, verb, or adjective following a preposition.
In both these cases, the verb or adjective is treated as a noun.
Examples.
He hanga whare tana mahi, his work is to build houses.
I te mahi a Wiremu, Wiremu was at work.
Kei hea he whare mo taua? Where is there a house for us?
Noku te potae mangu, the black hat is mine.
[26]
§ 34. Prædicate of many Words. ”

“ Obs. The common interrogative pronoun aha, what, is treated as a common noun.
§ 5. Number. The number of a common noun is denoted
1. by a lengthened pronunciation of certain words for the plural, as in the following:
The word tamaiti, child, is only used in the singular, the plural being tamariki.
2. by the number of the definitive in connexion with the noun. See §§ 14, 15.
§ 6. Nominal prefix a. Use the nominal prefix a with names of persons [7]
1. when they stand as subject in a sentence;
2. when they follow any of the prepositions ki, i, hei, or kei. ”

“ Tenei, tena, and tera often stand alone, the noun being understood, but taua is never used in this way.
Examples.
Naku tenei, nau tena, this is mine, that is yours.
Ne rangatira taua tangata, that man is a chief.
§ 19. The Difference between a and o, which applies also to na, no, ma, mo, ta, to, is this; a is active, and o is passive, that is to say, a is used with reference to the agent, o with reference to the person or thing acted upon, thus: [17] ”

“ Nou tena potae? Is that hat yours?
Na wai tenei mara? Whose is this cultivation?
He kai ranei kei roto i te whare? Is there any food in the house?
Kahore o pukapuka maku? Have you no book for me?
§ 37. The Time of these "sentences without verbs" may, as far as the form of the sentence is concerned, be either past, present, or future. When it is not shewn by the essential meaning of any of the words it must be gathered from the context. If no clue to the time is given, what is said will be understood in present time. ”

“ Ta Hemi pukapuka, Hemi's book.
To tenei tangata kaainga, this man's dwellingplace.
§ 16. Peculiarities of he and te. (a) Never use he after a preposition, but substitute tetahi, thus:
He tangata, a man.
Ki tetahi tangata, to a man.
(b) When a common noun is used to denote a class, as the simple plural is often used in English, use te in the singular, and not he, thus:
He kararehe kaha te hoiho, the horse is a strong beast. ”

“ Whakarongo ki nga kupu a Rewa, listen to the words of Rewa.
E matau ana ahau ki taua tangata, I know that man.
Kei te tiki ia i tana hoiho, he is fetching his horse.
I mahia e wai? by whom was it done?
§ 49. Agent emphatic. When special emphasis is to be laid on the agent an irregular construction is used, the preposition na being placed before the subject in the past tense, and ma in the future. In sentences of this kind the subject, being the most emphatic member of the sentence, stands first, [38] and the object either before or after the verb, but without any transitive preposition. ”

“ Koutou ko Hemi, ko Hohepa, You and Hemi and Hohepa.
A Hemi raua ko Hoani, Hemi and Hoani.
Ki a Hoani ratou ko Hemi ma, to Hoani, Hemi &c.
III. DEFINITIVES. § 14. Definitives are those words which shew how far, or in what way the signification of a noun is limited. The name therefore will comprehend what are commonly known as articles, possessive pronouns, possessive cases of nouns, and demonstrative pronouns. All these, with one exception, have two numbers, singular and plural; and all stand before the nouns with which they are connected. ”

“ Kei ora ahau, lest I should be (or become) well.
Kei kore ahau e ora, lest I should not be (or become) well.
§ 58. The remarks made on the tenses of the verbs in §§ 40, 41 are applicable also here.
[43]
§ 59. Preposition i. Adjectives and participles are followed by the preposition i (not e, which belongs only to passive verbs) , to denote the agency or instrumentality by which the effect has been or is to be produced.
Examples.
Kua ora ahau i to rongoa, I have become well by means of your medicine.
Ka pau tana kai i te kuri, his food is consumed by the dog.
§ 60. Explanatory Verb. ”

“ Use it with names of places and nouns of locality (§ 10) only when they stand as subject in a sentence, or are repeated by way of explanation.
Examples.
Ka ora a Hoani, Hoani is well.
Kei a Tamati to hoiho, Your horse is in the possession of Tamati.
Ma Pita tenei, This is for Pita.
He taone a Akarana, Auckland is a town.
Homai ki a au, give it to me.
Ka wera a waho o te rakau, the outside of the tree is burnt.
§ 7. Ma. When any person is spoken of in con [8] nexion with others whom it is not necessary to specify put ma after the name, thus:
Kahutia ma, Kahutia and his companions. ”

“ WORKS
BY
SIR GEORGE GREY, K.C.B.,
GOVERNOR AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE COLONY OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, AND HER MAJESTY'S HIGH COMMISSIONER.
A Handbook of African, Australian, and Polynesian Philology, as represented in the Library of His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B., Her Majesty's Commissioner of the Cape Colony. Classed, annotated, and edited by Sir George Grey, and Dr. H. J. Bleek. ”

“ E ai ki tana, or E ai tana, according to his [saying] it is i. e. he says.
E ai ta wai? who says so?
2. Transitional.
Ka ai he toki mana, there is an axe for him, i. e. he has an axe.
§ 52. Subjunctive Mood.
1. Present.
Me e ai ana he toki, if there were an axe.
2. Future.
Ki te ai he toki, if there should be an axe.
§ 53. Optative Mood.
1. With "kia".
Kia ai he toki, let there be an axe, i. e. when, or, as soon as there is an axe.
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2. With "kei".
Kei ai he toki, lest there should be an axe.
VIII. ADJECTIVES AND PARTICIPLES [A]
with the verb substantive. ”