ABSTRACT
The preferred method of reporting speech is direct quotation. The commonest introductory verb is mea ‘say’, though others such as karanga ‘call’ can also occur, and more elaborate formulae are found in some styles, eg. Ko te kupu a Tutaanekai ki a Hinemoa ‘Tutanekai’s words to Hinemoa were…’. The introductory phrase, of the general form ‘X said/spoke’ precedes the quoted words. The orthographic convention varies: sometimes the introductory phrase is treated as an independent sentence, and sometimes not. In speech, it is always treated as a separate sentence, receiving sentence final intonation on the final phrase (see 3.3.4.1-2). The following extract from the tale of Hinemoa will illustrate these points. (1) Ka karanga atu a Hinemoa, ki taua
T/A call away pers Hinemoa to det aph taurekareka nei, anoo he reo tane. Moo wai slave proxI as a voice man intgen who too wai? Ka mea mai te taurekareka raa. sggenIIsg water T/A say hither the slave dist Moo Tutaanekai. Naa, ka mea atu a intgen Tutanekai then T/A say away pers Hinemoa, Homai ki ahau. Hinemoa give to Isg ‘Hinemoa called out to this slave in a man’s voice. “Who is your water for?” That slave responded/spoke back. “For Tutanekai.” Then Hinemoa spoke. “Give it to me.”’(H, 8)
Indirect speech also occurs. There are many introductory verbs, eg. ui ‘ask’, paatai ‘ask’, whakahoki ‘reply’, kii ‘say’, mea ‘say’, whakautu ‘respond’. In indirect speech, the pronouns are changed to accord with the introductory clause (which is always part of the same sentence), but tenses are not changed. The following examples illustrate. The corresponding direct speech is given as (b) for comparison. (2a) Ka whakahoki a Tamahae i te hii ika a
T/A reply pers Tamahae T/A catch fish pers ia IIIsg ‘Tamahae replied that he had been fishing’
(2b) I te hii ika au T/A catch fish Isg ‘I’ve been fishing’
(3a) Ka paatai a Hata kei whea ngaa ika T/A ask pers Hata at(pres) where the(pl) fish ‘Hata asked where the fish were’.
