Ngā Tohutohu
In the first chapter of Te Kākano you have begun using terms for family relationships (p. 3). You will have begun to learn that sometimes you should use a for ‘of’, or for possession, while at other times o is used, e.g. te whaea o Mere (the mother of Mere/Mere’s mother) but te mokopuna a Mere (the grandchild of Mere/Mere’s grandchild). To help you learn when a or o (and other pairs of words for possession) is correct, specific aspects will be introduced gradually in the course.
Whether a or o is used depends on the relationship between the possessor and the thing or person that is ‘owned’. In the first example above, Mere is the possessor and it is the mother that is ‘owned’. With family relationships and kinship terms for the same generation or the generations above, o is used. Also included in this group is hoa (friend, companion, mate), whanaunga (relative, relation) and uri (descendant, relation, offspring). Note also that o is used with teina/taina (younger sister of a female; younger brother of a male), e.g. te teina o Mere (Mere’s younger sister).
By contrast, the family relationships and kinship terms for generations below the possessor take a, e.g. ngā mokopuna a Mere (Mere’s grandchildren). Also in this group are the words wahine (wife), tāne (husband) and whaiāipo (lover, sweetheart, betrothed), e.g. te tāne a Mere (Mere’s husband).
Sometimes whether a or o is used depends on what is being referred to. For example, te whānau a Mere (Mere’s family) refers to the children and grandchildren of which she is the mother or grandmother, but te whānau o Mere (Mere’s family) refers to all the people of her extended family, including her parents, uncles and aunties and grandparents.
The following exercise and some of the podcast exercises for this chapter will give you practice in the use of a and o with kinship terms.
Instructions
Fill in the missing words.
Tuhia ngā kupu e tika ana mō ngā mea e ngaro ana.
