MONOSYLLABIC ROOTS. 
201 
expressed my ignorance. He said, that the toronaihi is the 
sharp knife which whalers use to cut up blubber with—the 
drawknife. The word has been naturalized perhaps for half a 
century ; and since that little destructive animal, the mouse, has 
so increased, as to become a pest—for it cuts down the ripened 
wheat with its sharp teeth, and so clean, that it almost appears 
to have been done with a knife;—the natives have bestowed 
upon it the name of toronaihi, as being most descriptive of 
its destructive powers. 
It appears very probable that the language was originally 
monosyllabic; many of the words in Maori, may be traced to 
simple roots, and not a few of these will be recognized as 
roots in other, and far distant languages; a few are here given: 
Ka —to burn. Ka-pwra, seeds of burning fire. Ka-pura, seed. 
Ka-kano, seed or grain. Ka-lia, strength; breath of fire. 
Ku —narrowing. Ku-iti, narrow. Ku-raru raru, jammed up 
with business. Ku-ku, to pinch. Ku-relie, to fold up clothes, 
wrinkles. Ku-kuti, to crouch down. Ku-mu, anus. Ku-ku, a 
shrinking dread; pinching up. Ku-papa, to crouch down. 
Ni —seems to imply the bending of the leaf, as the cocoa-nut leaf; 
an arch, as of the mouth. Ni-lio, tooth. A-ni-wa-ni-wa, rain-bow; 
the water arch. 
Pa — A fence; to touch ; ward off; turn aside. Pa-tu, to touch, 
so as to wound. Pa-re , to ward off. Pa-ia, to turn or push aside, 
a fence. Pa-re-pa-re, a fortification; a barrier to push away the 
enemy; hence, Pa-reare, to push away the snow; a sandal. Pa-re, 
a fillet, or bandage for the head. Taia-pa, a fence. 
Po —night, season; a measure of time. Po-uri, darkness (the 
offspring of night). Mata-po, blind (the eyes of night). Po-lca, a 
pit, to dig into a bank; to force through any obstruction. Po-kake, 
to force in an opposite direction. Po-ka-noa, to break through, or do 
any thing without leave; officious. 
Rei —to hinder; to jump. A-rei, a skreen. Rei-nga, the skreen 
between this world and the next, or a jumping place. Rei-rei-rua, 
the double jump, or to gallop. 
Ri — root of Ri-nga-ri-nga, hand. Ri-ma, five. Tu-ri, knee. Ri- 
ake, to lift, raise. Ri-ri, anger, or any weapon of war, from the agent 
ri. Ri-aka, to strain the hand in labour. Ri-e, two, the two arms. 
