N-, M- Possession
N- class possessives
N- class possessives state past or present possession.
Nā/Nō - (see
a/o categories above)
Nō wai tērā waka? To whom does that car belong?
Nō Indya tērā waka. That car belongs to Indya.
M- class possessives
M- class possessives state
future possession.
Mā/Mō (see
a/o categories above)
Mō wai te wai nei? Who is this water for?
Mō rāua te wai nei. The water is for them.
Special singular forms
As with t- class possessives there are three singular forms added to nā/nō, mā/mō:
Person |
Nā/Nō |
Mā/Mō |
1st |
nāku / nōku |
māku / mōku |
2nd |
nāu / nōu |
māu / mōu |
3rd |
nāna / nōna |
māna / mōna |
Some examples
Nōku tērā waka. That car belongs to me.
Māu tēnei putiputi. This flower is for you.
Mōna te whare nā. That house by you is for her.
With all other noun phrase combinations the pronouns or nouns are separate from the possessive markers nā/nō, mā/mō; for example:
Nā ngā kōtiro tērā kurī. That dog belongs to the girls.
Nā wai tērā kōrero? Who said that? (Literally: That speech belongs to whom?)
Note the similarity to the
Agent Emphatic.