CHAPTER XII.

OF THE INTERJECTIONS.

Maori abounds in interjections. The following are the most common. It will be seen in this part of speech that there is a considerable variation in the different tribes.

INTERJECTIONS.

_For calling to another person near at hand_, Ou! Ou! _For reply to recall_, O, (in a falsetto tone). _For drawing attention to statements, things_ &c., &c. Inana! irara! ira! (Rotorua). Aiaiai! (Taranaki). Rere! Ere! nene! re! (Waikato). Nana! (Ngapuhi). _For exciting attention_, rara! (Waikato). _Disapprobatory_, E, e! He! hi! ha! aeha! ārārā. Ata! (Ngapuhi) Ae!

Exclamations made when it has been found that the speaker was correct, (corresponding to _ah_, _you see!_ _yes_, _to be sure_, &c.) Na ra nei? Arără! haka! (Waikato,) aheiha (Ngapuhi,) ae ra hoki. That expressive of gratification at some misfortune having befallen another; Kaitoa!

_Of salutation to visitors_, Haere mai, haere mai! Tauti mai, (Waikato). Nau mai, (Rotorua). _Salutation of one meeting another_, Tena ra ko koe! or, Tena koe! (lit, _that is you_). _In reply to a salutation_, Ko koe ra! It is you! _Of farewell_, Hei konei, _stop!_ Haere, go! E noho! ne? _Remain! Will you?_ _Of wonder_, Aue! Eue! (Waikato) Taukiri e! A! He inati! (Waikato).

Besides these there are phrases which are often used as interjections; e. g.,

_Ka tae_ taku matua, &c.! _Bravo, my father_, &c., corresponding to our _thank you_. _Ka tae_ he mamahi mau! _what heavy work for you_. _Tauhou_ ki a Hone! (lit. _stranger to John!_) _Oh yes, Mr. John_. Ka mahi a Hone, idem.

Maori delights in interjectional and ironical sentences, and the student who desires to be a good speaker should pay them much attention, and study also to catch the tone of voice, &c.

Some, who have not noticed them, have turned an exclamation into a question, and thus altered the meaning of the sentence. "How many pigs of John have better food than I!" we have heard thus translated, E hia ranei nga poaka a Hone he pai ke ta ratou kai i taku, &c.? The translation here obviously differs from the original. It should have been, _Ano te tini_, or _tini noa iho_, or _ka tae te tini_, or _kia tini_, _na_, (or _ano_) _te tini_, or _he tini nga poaka_, &c.

And here we may observe that, in translating from another tongue into Maori, it would be perverting all use of language to render by merely a verbal correspondence, without any regard to the meaning; and that, in these idiomatic phrases, it would be best, unless we wish to establish the maxim of the French statesman,[31] "that language was merely intended to conceal our feelings," to make our author employ those corresponding expressions in Maori which he would most probably have used had he been speaking in that language.

We may observe, in conclusion, that Maori has no good form for such optative interjections as _would that_, &c. There is, it is true, a kind of substitute; but it cannot be expressed by our present alphabet. It is formed by a sharp smack of the tongue against the palate, and _na_ pronounced after it. The best form, for the present, is, perhaps, _me i_, with a peculiar tone of voice; e. g., _Me i_ kite ahau ia ia! If I had but seen him! or would that I had, &c.

[31] The Abbé Talleyrand.