Did you know Southern Cook Islands Māori is endangered?

ALSO KNOWN AS		Māori, Kuki Airani, Te Reo Māori o te Pae Tonga o te Kuki Airani
CLASSIFICATION		Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, East Polynesian
ORTHOGRAPHY		19th century orthography developed by the London Missionary Society
CODE AUTHORITY		Glottolog
LANGUAGE CODE		raro1241
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Mangaia [mang1042] Ma'uke [mauk1238] Rarotonga [raro1242] Miti'aro [miti1242] Aitutaki [aitu1237]
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Information from: “Language Contexts: Te Reo Maori o te Pae Tonga o te Kuki Airani also known as Southern Cook Islands Maori” (36-64) . Sally Akevai Nicholas (2018) , Peter K. Austin & Lauren Gawne · EL Publishing

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
15,000-20,200
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
84200

DATE OF INFO: 2013

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

EGIDS 7-8a;
90% of Cook Islands people live abroad. In New Zealand, 68% of Cook Islands people under 65 years of age and 80% under 30 years of age are monolingual English speakers. In the Cook Islands, increasing numbers of young people are monolingual in English or passive bilinguals, though the language is used in all domains including online. (Numbers unavailable for Australia). Cook Islands Māori is used by older speakers in some religious contexts and particular media programs as well as in welcoming ceremonies.

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

Rarotangan is often considered the high variety among the dialects. Despite a loss of speakers, the language is considered by many to be an important part of their identity. Older people express disappointment that few younger people speak the language, while younger people feel discouraged by their elders when trying to learn.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

official language alongside English

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Ipukarea Society of Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English
New Zealand Māori

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Advanced shift to English. Many older people also speak New Zealand Māori, Tahitian, and other regional indigenous languages due to having attended school away from the Southern Cook Islands. There is a lack of qualified Cook Islands Māori grade-school instructors in the diaspora, though some community courses are offered. The language is still prevalent in the performing arts.

Scripts (Writing system)

19th century orthography developed by the London Missionary Society

Competing Orthographies

21st century revised orthography by the Bible Society of the South Pacific

More on Orthography

While English literacy is high, it is common to have functional or low literacy in Cook Islands Māori. Though most written material is liturgical, there is a broad representation across other genres as well as bilingual dictionaries and grammars. The unclear orthography impedes motivation to read aloud.

PLACES: Cook Islands including Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, 'Atiu, Ma'uke, and Miti'aro

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Also spoken amongst diaspora populations in New Zealand and Australia

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
10,000-99,999
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Speakers were reported as totaling 43,000 one to two decades ago

MORE ON VITALITY

Language use and speaker numbers are rapidly decreasing, especially in the diaspora.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

English is the preferred language of members of the young generation.

More on Orthography

Wide literacy

PLACES: Cook Islands, New Zealand

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: More than half the speakers live in New Zealand

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
42,669
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
33,220
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
7,300 in Cook Islands (2008). Population total all countries: 33,220

PLACES: Cook Islands; New Zealand; French Polynesia;

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
43,000
Native speakers worldwide

		3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing		Paris	http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		43,000		10000-99999							Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)								-21.2343,-159.7837
	July		2018	Language Contexts: Te Reo Maori o te Pae Tonga o te Kuki Airani also known as Southern Cook Islands Maori	Language Documentation and Description	36-64	Peter K. Austin & Lauren Gawne	EL Publishing	15	London	http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/160 http://www.elpublishing.org/docs/1/15/ldd15_02.pdf	Sally Akevai Nicholas			84200	15,000-20,200	2013	10000-99999		English, New Zealand Māori	official language alongside English	Rarotangan is often considered the high variety among the dialects. Despite a loss of speakers, the language is considered by many to be an important part of their identity. Older people express disappointment that few younger people speak the language, while younger people feel discouraged by their elders when trying to learn.	Advanced shift to English. Many older people also speak New Zealand Māori, Tahitian, and other regional indigenous languages due to having attended school away from the Southern Cook Islands. There is a lack of qualified Cook Islands Māori grade-school instructors in the diaspora, though some community courses are offered. The language is still prevalent in the performing arts.	Ipukarea Society of Auckland University of Technology (AUT)	Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	12	EGIDS 7-8a; 90% of Cook Islands people live abroad. In New Zealand, 68% of Cook Islands people under 65 years of age and 80% under 30 years of age are monolingual English speakers. In the Cook Islands, increasing numbers of young people are monolingual in English or passive bilinguals, though the language is used in all domains including online. (Numbers unavailable for Australia). Cook Islands Māori is used by older speakers in some religious contexts and particular media programs as well as in welcoming ceremonies.	12	14	Also spoken amongst diaspora populations in New Zealand and Australia	Cook Islands including Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, 'Atiu, Ma'uke, and Miti'aro		-8, -156; -23, -167
070071197X	3	1	2007	Australia and the Pacific	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	424-557		Routledge		Abingdon		Stephen A Wurm	Wurm, Stephen A. 2007. Australia and the Pacific. In Christopher Moseley, Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, 1 edn., 424-557. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 070071197X	ll_pub				10000-99999	Speakers were reported as totaling 43,000 one to two decades ago	English			English is the preferred language of members of the young generation.		Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Language use and speaker numbers are rapidly decreasing, especially in the diaspora.				Cook Islands, New Zealand	More than half the speakers live in New Zealand
				World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			42,669		10000-99999							Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International		Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub		33,220		10000-99999	7,300 in Cook Islands (2008). Population total all countries: 33,220						Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Cook Islands; New Zealand; French Polynesia;

Southern Cook Islands Māori

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

15,000-20,200

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,000-99,999

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

42,669

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

33,220

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

43,000

Discussion

Southern Cook Islands Māori

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

15,000-20,200

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,000-99,999

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

42,669

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

33,220

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

43,000

Discussion

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