VOWELS

The Tahitian words sometimes exchange vowels, but between Maori and Tahitian the interchange is more frequent. In the following examples the Tahitian word is placed first, and the related Maori or Tahitian word (marked M. or T.) follows.

Oeoe, sharp, pointed, M. koi; fetii, to tie or bind, M. whitiki; hapoi, to carry, T. hopoi; hinaaro, affection, M. hinengaro; mamo, progeny, M. momo; marara, the flying fish, M. maroro; metua and mitua, a parent, M. matua; pererau, the wingl of a fowl, M. parirau; teimaha, heavy, T. and M. taimaha; tinai, to extinguish fire, M. tinei; manihini, guests, visitors, M. manuhiri; afata, a scaffold, T. ihata; mahita. soon angry, T. mahiti; nivaniva, unsteady, T. nevaneva; nahu, well regulated, T. nahonaho; nihinihi, neat, T. nehenche; opai, to drift to leeward, T. opae; arava, a stripe, T. irava; manaa, manageable, T. manee; maua, an old cocoanut tree, T. maui: mira, to polish clubs, &c., T. mire; mitaro, accustomed, T. mataro; pahoro, a comb, T. pahere; rara, to run M. rere; reme, a torch, M. and T., rama; tioi, to turn a thing to one side, T. taoi; taopaopa, to roll, T. tiopaopa; tipaopao, to mark for revenge, T. tapaopao; tatia, a girdle, M. and T. tatua; tiatia, to carry or convey, T. tietie; tiparu, to flatter, T. taparu; tipu, to chop, T. tapu; virua and verua, the spirit, T. varua; vitahi, someone, T. vetahi; vihi, a wrapper, T. vehi. Tia appears often to be used for tu; as, tiapapau, a corpse, M. tupapaku; tia, to stand, M. tu: tiapuna, an ancestor, M. tupuna; tiarama, a torch, M. turama, &c., &c. Nia, above, is a curious word. It has probably been runga, nunga, nua, nia.