Fascinating subject! I've read through this whole thread, and have learned a lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by omk3
Intriguing
Just found an interesting link for Maori learners: http://www.maorilanguage.net/phrase_...ubcategoryid=1
This is a list of hellos, not goodbyes. But it seems to have a lot of detail. There's even one "hello to you two boys"!
Anyone from New Zealand care to tell us more? |
Disclaimer: I can't claim to speak Maori, but I do know a few words and phrases, and a very little grammar. Yes, one of the interesting things about Maori is that greetings are different based on whether one, two, or three or more people are being addressed. For example (in the site linked):
Tēnā koe (Hello to you - 1 person)
Tēnā kōrua (Hello to you two - 2 people)
Tēnā koutou (Hello to you - more than 2 people)
But the other items on that page are examples of usage, rather than being specific greetings for specific groups. E.g "Tēnā kōrua e tama mā" - Tēnā kōrua is the greeting to two people, tama means boys. So it's roughly equivalent to saying, "Hello, you boys", with the "two" being implicit in using tēnā kōrua.