OF THE PREPOSITIONS.
Scarcely any part of Maori is more worthy of attention than the
prepositions. In no language, that we are acquainted with, are their
powers so extensive. While, in common with those of English and
Hebrew, they serve to express those relations, which in some languages
are chiefly marked by the different endings of the nouns, they extend
their influence still farther, and are, in many instances, of material
importance in determining the time of the sentence in which they are
placed.
They are simple and compound. The simple are those which, in
construction, take no other preposition into union with them. The
principal prepositions of this class are as follows:
E, _by_.
I, _by_, _with_, _from_, _to_, _through_, _in_, _at_, _than_.
Ki, _with_, _to_, _for_, _at_, _according to_, _in_.
Kei, _at_.
No, _of_, _from_.
Na, _of_, _by_, _through_.
Mo, _for_ (or _because of_), _for_ (possession),
_at_ &c., &c.
Ma, _for_, _by_, _concerning_.
Hei, _at_, _for_.
O, _of_.
A, _at_.
Ko, _at_.
To, _up to_.
The compound prepositions are those which, like the _composite_ of
Hebrew, require one or more of the simple to set forth their meaning.
They are as follows:
Runga, _upon or above_.
Raro, _beneath_.
Mua, _before_.
Muri, _behind_.
Roto, or ro, _inside_.
Waho, _outside_.
Tua, _other side_.
Pahaki, _other side_, or _this side of_, (used in describing the
position of an object.)
Tai, idem.
Waenga, _midst of_.
Tata, _near_.
Tawhiti, _far off_.
The meaning and uses, however, of the above, both _simple_, and
_compound_, are exceedingly various; and the attention of the student
is therefore requested to the following notices respecting them.[16]
E, _by_ (applied to the _agent_, not the _instrument_) is always
prefixed to the agent when a passive verb precedes; e. g.,
Kua kainga _e_ te kuri, _was devoured by the dog_.
Kua kitea _e_ Hone, _was seen by John_.
Kua patua te ngaru _e_ te ua, _the waves were beaten down by the
rain_.
When neuter[17] verbs assume the passive form the agent follows, as in
regular transitive verbs, and is preceded by _e_; e. g.
Katahi ano a kona ka takotoria _e_ te tupeka, _now for the first
time has that place been laid upon by tobacco_--now for the first
time has tobacco lain there.
Kangia _e_ te ahi, _kindled upon by the fire_, i. e. having a fire
kindled (there).
Verbal nouns, and verbs preceded by such words as _hohoro_, _oti_,
_ahei_, _hei_, _pau_, _taea_, _taihoa_, _taria_, &c., will take _e_
after them; e. g.
Ngaunga _e_ te ra, _a scorching by the sun_.
Kua _oti_ te patu _e_ au, _the killing has been finished by me_;
i. e. I have killed (it).
E kore e _ahei_ te hapai _e_ ahau, _the lifting cannot be
accomplished by me_, i. e., I cannot lift (it).
The following, also, are instances in which _e_ is found after the
active verb--after a verb, at least, active in _form_.
_Me_ wero _e_ koe, _you must stab it_.
_Me_ wewete _e_ ia, _he must let it go_.
He _mea hanga_ e to ringaringa, _a thing made by the hand_.
_Ka te_ arai mai i taku ahi _e_ koe, (a Waikatocism), _(see!) you
exclude the fire from me_.
I, BY, (follows a neuter verb, no matter whether the agent be animate
or inanimate):
Kua mate i a Hone, _killed by John_.
Pakaru i te hau, _broken by the wind_.
Ka mate ahau i te wai, _I am dead by water_, i. e., I am thirsty.
2. WITH.
Kia haere atu ahau i a koe? _Shall I go with you?_
Ka riro mai i a au, _will depart with me_, i. e., I shall take, or
obtain it.
NOTE.--In this latter sentence foreigners often make mistakes, and
render it, ka riro mai _ki_ a au. Wherever _obtaining_, _receiving_,
_taking_, for possession, or such like, is intended, _i_ mostly
signifies the _person_, _ki_ the _place_; as in the following
examples:
Ka riro to kotiro _i_ te Kainga maori, _your servant girl will be
taken away by (the people) of the native place_.
Ka riro to kotiro _ki_ te kainga maori, _your servant girl will go
to the native place_.
If the following passage were properly and correctly translated, how
different would its meaning be from that intended by the speaker! kia
riro atu ratou i te hunga nanakia, _rescue them out from the cruel
people_. The true meaning of the passage, as it stands, is, _Let them
depart into the power of the cruel_.
3. FROM,
_I_hea koe? _From whence do you (come)?_
Ki tetahi rongoa _i_ a Hone, _for some medicine from John_.
Inoia he ngakau hou _i_ a Ia, _pray for a new heart from him_.
NOTE.--For the difference between _i_ and _no_ see the latter
proposition § 4. Under this head may be mentioned a _partitive sense_
in which _i_ is sometimes taken; e. g.,
Tangohia _i_ ā Hone, _take some of John's_.
4. TO, (denoting possession, used somewhat similarly to the dative we
find in Latin when _sum_ is used for _habeo_;) e. g.,
_I_ a au tenei kainga, _this is my farm (or possession)_.
Kahore he maripi i a au, _there is no knife to me; I have no knife_.
NOTE.--Beginners are often misled by natives and each other in the
use of this preposition. Such sentences as the following are
incorrect, _I_ a koe haere, _go thou_, _I_ a koe korero, _you said_.
It should be, Haere koe; and, nau i korero.
5. THROUGH, (or in consequence of),
E kore e tae mai nga raupo _i_ te ua, _the raupo cannot be brought
here in consequence of the rain_.
6. IN, or AT.
To tatou matua _i_ te rangi, _our Father in Heaven_.
_I_ hea tenei e takoto ana? _Where has this been lying? In the
cupboard._
E aha ana kae _i_ kona? _What are you doing there?_
7. AT, (past time),
_I_ te aonga ake o te ra ka haere mai matou, _on the next day we
came here_.
8. AT, (future),
_I_ te ra horoi whare ka haere ake koe ki a matou, _on Saturday you
will come to us_.
9. THAN, (used in comparison); (vid. S. adjectives),
E rangi tenei _i_ tena, _this is better than that_.
10. Under this head may be classed some instances that cannot well be
reduced to any of the above rules:
E hara koe _i_ te rangatira noku, _you are not my master_.
E hara _i_ a koe, (a kind of jocose phrase corresponding, perhaps,
to that of some in England, _you are a pretty fellow_.)
The following examples seem to be opposed to rule 1, and are therefore
deserving of notice. They are perhaps confined to Waikato:
Ka timu te tai _i_ a tatou, _the tide for us (to pull with) will
ebb_.
Haere mai ki te wahi ruru _i_ a koe, _come to the spot sheltered for
you_.
Kei to moe _i_ ona karu, _he is indulging his eyes with sleep_.
In such instances as these, we should regard _i_ as pleonastic,
somewhat like, perhaps, the prepositions _from_ and _in_ of Hebrew and
Arabic.
The student should ever be mindful of the distinction between the
preposition _i_ and the particle by which the accusative, (as it would
be called in Latin,) is denoted. This particle has, of itself, no
specific meaning. In many instances its use is similar to that of
_êhth_ in Hebrew; e. g.,
A ka kite te Atua _i_ te maramatanga, _and God saw the light_,
Gen. i. 4.
Kua whakarere ratou _i_ a Ihowa, _they have forsaken_ JEHOVAH.
It follows an active verb, whereas the preposition follows the neuter,
and signifies _by_. The uses of the two words are totally opposite, as
may be seen in the following example. A young teacher wishing to say,
_sin produces pain_, thus expressed his sentiment: Ko te kino ka
whanau i te mamae. Now, whanau is not an active verb. It is a
participial adjective. It is used correctly in John iii. 8, Whanau i
te Wairua, _born of the Spirit_. The sentence therefore that we have
adduced, if strictly translated, would run thus, _sin is born of, or
produced by pain_.
KI, WITH, (denotes the instrument); e. g.,
Patua _ki_ te rakau, _beaten with a stick_.
NOTE.--When used in this sense it very rarely follows neuter verbs;
for example it would not be correct to say, Ka _wera_ i a au _ki_ te
ahi, _it will be burned up by me with fire_. Some passive verb, as
_tahuna_, _&c._ should, in this case precede instead of _wera_. The
following form, however, is correct:
E kore e ora _ki_ tena, _will not be satisfied with that quantity
(of food)_.
E kore e oti _ki_ tena, _will not be completed_ with _that_.
Many speakers confound the instrumental character (if we may so
speak) of this preposition with another use of the word _with_,
which, we believe, is seldom denoted by _ki_.
If, for example, we had to translate into Latin the following
sentence, "to speak with fear;" (i. e. timidly,) how incorrect would
it be to render _fear_ into the ablative that is used for denoting an
instrument! All would see that _dicere metu_ does not express that
meaning, and that _cum metu dicere_, or something to that effect, was
the true rendering. So also here, wherever _appendage_, _connexion_
and such like is intended, _ki_ is, we believe, a preposition that is
very seldom called into use. We therefore disapprove of such a
sentence as the following:
Inoi atu _ki_ te ngakau aroha, _pray with a loving heart_.
It should however be noticed that _ki_ is sometimes found in other
uses of the word _with_, in which no instrumentality is designed;
e. g.,
Taku mahinga ki a koe, _my working with you_; i. e., my work in
your service.
E riri ana ki a koe, _is angry with you_.
This last example, however, might perhaps be most correctly
translated _at_; as in the following:
E titiro mai ana ki a koe, _is looking at you_.
On this use of _ki_ we shall have to remark in the Syntax.
2. TO,
Ho mai ki a au, _give it to me_.
Haere _ki_ Manukau, _go to Manukau_.
Te rohe _ki_ a koe, _the boundary to you_; i. e., for or of your
side.
3. FOR,
Tetahi _ki_ a koe, _(fetch) a (garment) for yourself_.
4. AT (past time),
I tanumia _ki_ reira, _was buried there_.
I maku _ki_ runga _ki_ te poti, _was wet on board the boat_.
5. AT (future time),
_Ki_ te mane ka hoe mai, _on the Monday will pull, or paddle, here_.
Kei roa _ki_ reira, _be not long there_.
6. ACCORDING TO,
E ai _ki_ tana, _according to what he says_; i. e., as he would have
it, &c.
_Ki_ ta ratou, _ki_ taua taro na, he kikokiko, _according to them,
as concerning that bread, it is flesh_; i. e., they maintain that
that bread is flesh.
We would here suggest by way of corollary that in quoting the
sentiments of any writer, the most appropriate form for the phrase
"_according to_" would be _ki ta_, as in the above example. Thus _the
gospel according to St. Matthew_ might be well rendered by "ko te
rongo pai _ki ta_ Matiu;" _the rule, according to my opinion_, _is_,
&c., "ko te tikanga, ki taku whakaaro, ko &c."
It is used also where _if_ would be employed in English:
_Ki_ te haere ahau, _If I go_.
Sometimes (in Waikato) it is used pleonastically:
Kahore _ki te_ matara to haere mai, _it was not such a
distance but he might have come_.
Frequently, in consequence of the elliptical character of the
language, it is found in various other uses, which it is difficult to
reduce to rule. The following are a few examples:
E noho ana koe _ki te_ kai mau? _are you staying_ from _food?_
Te tatau _ki_ a au, _the door to me_; i. e., open the door for or to
me.
Ka riro te waka _ki_ a koe, _the canoe for you will be gone_; i. e.,
the canoe that is to take you will, &c.
Heoi ano _ki_ a tame ko te whare, _let the tent be the only thing_
for _the bull (to carry)_.
Taria e hoe _ki_ a au, _delay your pulling (or paddling) for me_;
i. e., wait for me.
Tikina atu tetahi kete, _ki te_ kete nui, _ki te_ kete hou, _fetch a
basket_, let it _be a large basket_, let it _be a new basket_.
I riri ahau ki reira, _thereupon, or at that thing, was I angry_.
I haere mai ahau _ki a_ koe _ki te_ waka _ki a_ au, _I have come to
you_ for the _canoe_ for me; i. e., to get a loan of your canoe.
From the above sentence the student will form an idea of how much the
business of language is performed in Maori by prepositions.
KEI, AT.--It denotes chiefly present time; e. g.
_Kei_hea? _Kei_ te kainga. _Where is it? At the settlement._
2. AT. (future time.) It is not unfrequently found in such
constructions as the following:
_Kei_ te mane ka haere mai, _on Monday he will come here_.
3. Sometimes, in animated language, it is used instead of _ko_ before
the nominative case; e. g.,
_Kei_ te ringaringa o Ngakete, aroarohaki kau ana, _the hand of
Ngakete, it was all a quiver_.
4. Occasionally, in Waikato, it is used in the following construction:
kua riro _kei_ te hoe mai, _he is gone to fetch it (the canoe)_. We
are aware that it has been said that there should be a stop at _riro_,
and that properly the above may be said to consist of two sentences,
as follows: _he is gone, he is fetching it_. We are, however, certain
that many sentences will be heard, in which no stop can be detected in
the native pronunciation.
5. Sometimes it is used in the sense of _like_:
_Kei_ te ahi e toro, _like fire that burns_.
Koia ano _kei_ te kowhatu, _exactly as if it were a stone_.
NO, OF, (the sign of the possessive case.) In this signification _he_
is the only article that it will admit before it; e. g.,
He wanaunga _no_ Hone, _a relation of John's_.
The following construction, however, is an exception:
Katahi ano te potae pai _no_ Hone, _for the first time the good hat
of John's_, i. e., _what an excellent hat is that of John's!_
NOTE.--We may here observe that, in denoting the possessive case,
_no_ follows _he_, and _o_ follows _te_, or nga. The following
sentence is incorrect:
Ano he tamariki _o_ te Atua, _as children of God_.
The _he_ here requires _no_ after it. We shall have occasion
hereafter (vid. verbs Syntax) to mention an exception to this rule
which is sometimes heard among the tribes to the southward of Waikato.
2. FROM, (that time),
_No_ te mane i haere mai ai, _he came here (last) Monday_.
3. FROM, (that cause),
_No_ reira i kino ai, _from that cause was he displeased_.
NOTE.--In all examples of this, and the preceding head, _no_ will
take a past tense after it.
4. FROM, (that place),
_No_ Matamata tenei tangata, _this man belongs to Matamata_.
There is a distinction between this meaning of _no_, and that of _i_,
(vid. _i_. 3.) which is very useful and important. _No_ signifies the
place to which you belong, whether it be England, Rotorua, &c. _I_
signifies the place you have been visiting as a mere sojourner.
Thus if we were to ask a person, "_No_ hea koe?" he would most
probably reply, "_No_ Hauraki, _no_ Waikato," or some place of which
he was a denizen; but if we were to ask "_I_ hea koe?" he would then
mention some place he had been just visiting. This distinction does
not seem to be so clearly recognized at the northward as it is in all
the central parts of the island.
NA, OF, the active form of _no_, (vid. Syntax for the distinction
between _o_ and _a_).
Na wai tena kuri? _whose is that dog?_
2. BY,
_Na_ Hone i patu, _was beaten by John_.
NOTE.--Na does not in this sense take a passive after it. It is not
quite certain that _na_ does, in such sentences as the above, signify
_by_. The subject will be more fully considered in the Syntax. (vid.
verbs).
Na, in this sense, always takes _i_ after it. The following sentence
is incorrect: Nana hoki _kua_ tohutohu enei mea, _he also has
appointed these things_. (For _na_ followed by _ka_ vid. _Ma_. 5.)
3. THROUGH or BY (what cause, instrumentality, &c.)
_Na_ te aha i mate ai, _from what did he die?_
Sometimes, in this use of it, it is followed by a passive voice, with
_ai_.
_Na_ te aha i pahuatia ai? _for what cause was he plundered?_
_Na_ te aha i meinga ai? _why was it done?_
Sometimes (but rarely) it is followed by an active verb:
_Na_ te mea i tuhituhi atu ai au, _the reason of my writing (is
because) &c._
4. By (place, conveyance. &c).
_Na_ uta, _by land_.
_Na_ te kaipuke, _by ship_.
_Na_ Hauraki, _(went) by Hauraki_.
MO.--N.B. _Mo_ and _ma_ seem to be future forms of _no_ and _na_ in
many particulars.
1. FOR or BECAUSE OF, (followed most frequently by a past tense, even
though the meaning be present); e. g.,
_Mo_ te aha koe i aroha ai ki a te Karaiti? _why do you love Christ?_
_Mo_ te aha koe i mauahara tonu ai ki a au? _why do you bear a
continual grudge to me?_
_Mo_ te tutu ki te kura i whakatikia ai, _for disobedience in School
were (they) deprived (of them.)_
Sometimes, however, it is followed by other particles:
_Mo_ te aha _kia_ riri kau? _why should he be angry?_
_Mo_ te aha koe ka tutu nei kia au? _why are you thus disobedient to
me?_
2. FOR, (denoting _appropriation_, _use_, or some action passing on to
the noun or pronoun to which it is prefixed):
Ho mai _mo_ku, _give to me (for my use)_.
Hei kainga _mo_u, _as a farm for you (or land to reside upon)_.
He patu _mo_ku, _a beating for me_, i. e., to beat me.
He raka _mo_ taku pouaka, _a lock for my box_.
Murua mai _mo_ku, _take it (from them) for me_, i. e., as a thing
for me, for my benefit, use, &c.
3. FOR (_in exchange_), he utu _mo_ taku mahi.
Sometimes but rarely it is found in the following construction:
Me aha te utu mou? _what is the payment for you to be?_
4. FOR.
Whakawateatia he huarahi mo mea ma, _clear a road for our friends_.
5. AT, (future time),
_Mo_ amua haere ai, _go at a future period_.
6. CONCERNING.
Nga kupu i korerotia ki a koe mo Tipene, _the report that was
related to you concerning Stephen_.
We have observed _mo_ used by foreigners in sentences in which _for_
would appear to be pleonastic, as _open the door_ for _me_; _dress
this wound_ for _me_, &c. We have no hesitation however in affirming
that _mo_ is never used in such a construction.
7. Used with a verbal noun to denote a _preparedness, &c._, for some
future act; e. g.
_Mo_ nga haererenga ki reira ko era kai, THAT WHEN _I go there,
there may be food (ready for me)_; i. e. I cultivate at that place
that I may have food when I visit it. Vid. S.
MA. The active form of _mo_. (Vid. S.) It implies always future time.
1. FOR.
_Ma_ wai tena kuri? _for whom is that dog?_
2. BY or more strictly, _for_,
_Ma_ Hone e patu, _let it be killed by John_; lit. let the killing
be _for_ John.
3. BY, (_what means, &c._)
_Ma_ te whakapono ka ora ai, _by faith shall (we) be saved_.
4. Sometimes it is used to denote a simple future:
_Ma_ku e korero, _I will speak (to him.)_
5. It is very frequently employed in _hypothetic_ and _contingent_
propositions; e. g.
_Ma_ nga Pakeha e tohe, kaua e noho, _If the Europeans press (to
stop with them) do not remain_.
_Ma_u e pai ka haere au, _If you please I will go_.
Haria atu: _ma_na e whakapai, _ma_na e whakakino, _take it (to him):
(it will be) for him to be pleased with it, (it will be) for him
to be displeased (with it)_.
A very common way of denoting contingency is to associate _ma_ or _na_
with a personal pronoun, even though the latter have no direct meaning
in the sentence. We give the following sentence in full, that the
reader may better understand our meaning.
He tangata Atua, ka puta mai ki a ia te kai, ka whiua te tahi ki
tahaki, hei whakahere i tona Atua, _mana_ ka pau i te kuri ranei,
_mana_ ka pau i te poaka ranei. _A man who has a God, if food is
brought to him_ (to the man), _part (of it) is thrown to one side
as an offering to his God, (as chance may have it) it may be eaten
by the dog, or it may be eaten by the pig_.
_Nana_ ka nui te hau, _nana_ ka iti, _even though the wind be
strong, even though it be light, (still does he carry on.)_
To this interesting point of Maori criticism we shall return when we
treat on the _tenses_; vid. S.
6. BY, (with reference to place or conveyance) in the same sense as
_na_; vid. _Na_. 4.
RA, BY, same as _Ma_ 6; vid.
HEI, AT,--always future, applied to _place, intention &c._
_Hei_ kona tatari, _at that place stop_.
_Hei_ reira korero ai, _there upon speak_.
_Hei_ konei, _be_ (_you_) here;--a farewell.
2. It is often used to denote _purpose_, _object_, _use_, _&c._, where
in English we should use _as_, _to_, _for_, _instead_, _&c._, e. g.
Haria etahi kanga _hei_ o mou, _take some corn as viaticum for you_.
_Hei_ aha tena? hei rewa mo te poti; _what is that for? as a mast
for the boat_.
Kowai _hei_ tiki? _who is to fetch (it)?_
Sometimes we hear the following:
Aua _hei_ pena: _do not so_.
3. Occasionally, but rarely, it is used to denote _frequent action_;
e. g.
Ko wai _hei_ ruke tonu i nga riwai nei, _who is this that is_
continually _throwing about the potatoes?_
NOTE.--A very strange use of this preposition is to be found in some
parts of the south-eastern coast; as in the following examples:--
Haere koe hei rakau, _go fetch a stick_.
Haere koe hei wai, _go fetch water_.
On the western coast such an address would be a most offensive curse.
O, OF; e. g.
Te whare _o_ Hone, _the house of John_.
A, OF; the active form of _o_; vid. S.
Te mahi _a_ Hone, _John's work_.
N.B.--We sometimes meet with _to_ and _ta_; e. g.
Ko _to_ Hone ware, _John's house_.
Such words however are clearly composed of _to_ and _o_, or _a_.
A. (This seems to be different from the article _a_, as also from the
foregoing.)
AT.--_A_ te mane, _on_, or _at, the Monday_ (we will go,) &c.
KO. (This seems to be different from the verbal particle _ko_;--vid.
_verbal particles_ Syntax.)
AT.--_Ko_ reira noho ai, _at that place stop_.
_Ko_ reira korero ai, _then speak_.
TO, UP TO. The following is the only construction in which we have
heard this preposition.
_To_ nga hope te wai, _the water is up to the loins_.
Ka _to_ nga uma te wai nei, _the water is up to the breast_.
N.B.--_To_ almost always takes a plural number after it.
COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS.--One or two examples will be a sufficient
illustration of all.
_Runga_ is capable of the following combinations: I runga i, ki runga
ki, ki runga i, ki runga o, no runga no, no runga i, o runga o, kei
runga kei, kei runga i, hei runga i, hei runga hei, mo runga mo, &c.,
&c. The first preposition in the combination and the meaning of the
sentence will always determine the last.
Sometimes the adverbs _ake_ and _iho_, (vid. adverbs,) as also the
particles _atu_ and _mai_, are postfixed to the prepositions to
increase its force; e. g.
E ngari tena i runga _ake_, _that which is above (it) is better_.
A muri _ake_ nei, _hereafter_.
A very singular use of _roto_ (or _ro_) may be found in the
neighbourhood of the East Cape: e. g.
Kei _ro_ whare, _inside the house_.
Kei _ro_ pouaka, _in the box_.
A similar use of _waenga_ may be found in all parts of the island;
e. g.
Kei _waenga_ riwai, _in the midst of the potatoe (field.)_
Kei _waenga_ mara, _in the midst of the cultivation_.
Its use however does not extend much beyond those instances.
A very common and elegant use of _runga_ is, when it is employed in
the sense of _amongst_, _on_, or _with_, to denote _concomitancy_,
&c., &c.; as in the following examples:
I hokona e koe i _runga_ i te he, _you purchased it on a bad title_.
Kei _runga_ tenei i to mahi, _we are now on the work_; i. e., are
busily engaged at work.
E karakia ana i _runga_ i te he, _he worships on sin_; i. e. while
he worships God he practices sin.
The preceding examples suggest a good approximation to a form of
expression which, we confess, we have been unable to find under the
preposition _ki_; i. e. _with_ noting concomitancy, (vid. _ki_ (1)),
as in the following examples: "Pray with faith;" "love God with your
whole heart." In these sentences we should have no hesitation in
using _runga_.
A very common form of, we believe, Maori origin, is,
Kia haere atu te inoi i _runga_ i a te Karaiti, _let the prayer go
forth upon Christ_.
The other compound prepositions may often be rendered very useful by
giving them, as in the above, a figurative acceptation according with
the nature of the subject. One or two examples will suffice.
_Tua_ is thus employed:
He tau ki tua, _a year is on the other side; this day year, what a
long time_ (you intend to be absent)!
He mate kei tua, _misfortune is on the other side_, i. e. _awaits
you_.
Kei tua o te ra tapu nei, _next week_.
The student should carefully remember that _muri_ and _mua_ do not
exactly correspond with _behind_ and _before_ in English, and that
_tua_ is very frequently employed to denote those words.
We have heard the following very erroneous expressions from some old
settlers:
Tutakina to tatau o te aroaro, _shut the door of the front_, i. e.
the front door.
Kei muri i te whare, _behind the house_.
_Muri_ and _mua_ (as well as the substantive _aroaro_) are chiefly
employed in connexion with living objects. When allusion is made to
the date of events, the student will remember that the prepositions
_a_, _mo_, _mo_, _a_, _hei_, _kei_, _ko_, _hei a_ and _ko a_, denote
future time, and that _no_, _i_, and _o_ will always indicate past
time.
These prepositions will sometimes take verbal particles into connexion
with them, and may be frequently found in other forms to occupy the
place of verbs, substantives, and adverbs; vid. ch. 1, § 6. (c), ch.
7. § 1. (b), and ch. 9.
Sometimes we meet with other forms for denoting what would be
represented by a preposition in English. Though their proper place
belongs to the dictionary, we beg the reader's permission to insert a
few here:
Puta noa i tera taha, _(make its appearance out at the other
side)_;--_through_.
A taea noatia tenei ra, { _arrives on to_ }
or { or } _this day_.
A tae noa ki tenei ra { _till it reaches_ }
A Mangapouri atu ana, _even to Mangapouri_.
I te takiwa, _(in the interval);--between_.
I te ritenga atu, _(in the line or direction of);--ante_ and
_contra--over against_.
Ki tona aroaro, _(to his front);--before_.
I tetahi taha ona i tetahi taha, _(on one side, on one side);--round
about him_.
Ki tera taha, _(to the other side);--across (a stream)_.
The prefix _whaka_, when in union with a word, will impart the meaning
of _towards_, and change it into an adverb; e. g.,
Kumea whakarunga, _pull upwards_.
Haere whaka tepa, _go towards the pa_.
I hoatu ai e ahau _i whakaaro ki_ tona matua, _I gave it to him in
consideration of his father; (propter.)_
Kihai ahau i whakaae, i whakaaro hoki ki a Hone; _I did not assent
on account of John_; i. e. _for John's sake_.
The above form deserves, we think, the notice of our Missionary
brethren as supplying a good approximation to an use of the word
_by_, which we have not been able to find under the preposition _ki_
or _mo_, viz., when it is used in _adjuration_. If, for example, we
had to translate into prose the following stanza:--
_By_ thy birth, and early years;
_By_ thy griefs, and sighs, and tears;
Jesus look with pitying eye.
Hear, and spare us when we cry,
we should feel very reluctant to use either _ki_ or _mo_. For, in
that case, our Lord's hearing would be represented as a thing _to be_
accomplished, or purchased by himself _with_ his birth and early
years--a version quite foreign from the original.
We should therefore prefer something to this effect:--"Whakarongo
mai, tohungia hoki matou, &c., wakamaharatia tou whanautanga, &c.,"
or, "kia mahara hoki ki tou whanautanga ki tou taitamarikitanga, &c.,
&c."
Some, perhaps, would prefer--"I whanua nei hoki koe i taitamariki,
&c.;" neither should we object to such a form. All we contend for is,
that _ki_ and _mo_ will not answer, and that they would often, in
such kind of sentences, convey very erroneous doctrines.
Approximation to such a meaning is all we can hope for; and that is
the best which differs least in _sense_ from the original.
[16] Many of the following remarks belong properly to the Syntax. The
student however will, we trust, find it advantageous to have the whole
subject placed thus, in one connected view before him.
[17] By neuter verbs, here, are intended also participial adjectives.
(Vid. verbs, note, under head "Neuter.")