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.
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)
