Note 1.—To define the rule by which the article is prefixed or omitted before proper names is a work of some difficulty, usage being very irregular.
Note 2.—Sometimes te is blended with o into one word; as in the following example: ki to Hone ware, to the house of John, instead of ki te whare o Hone.
Note 3.—The student should be careful, in speaking, to distinguish between the article te, and the negative particle te. The latter should always be pronounced more distinctly and forcibly than the article.
§ 3. Nga may with strict propriety be called the plural of the definite article. There are a few exceptions, or rather slight variations, which we do not think it necessary to mention.
§ 4. He varies in some respects in its uses from the English a.
(a.) It is used sometimes where no article would be employed in English; e. g.
- A, ho atu ana e ratou he moni ki a ia, and they gave him money.
(b.) It is occasionally used in the same sense as some in English, e. g.,
- kawea he wai, fetch some water.