Alternate Names: Cook Island, Cook Islands Maori, Kuki Airani, Maori, Rarotongan-Mangaian
Dialects: Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro, Rarotonga. Lexical similarity: 83% with Tuamotuan ,, 79% with Hawaiian ,, 75% with Mangareva ,, 73% with Marquesan ,.
Status Notes: Statutory language of national identity (1965, Constitution, Article 35), limited use in higher government domains.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 13,100 in Cook Islands (2011 census), decreasing. 2,035 Aitutaki, 481 Atiu, 573 Mangaia, 307 Mauke, 189 Mitiaro (2011 census). Speaker numbers rapidly decreasing, especially in the diaspora (Wurm 2007). Population total all countries: 39,090.
Language Use: English [eng] preferred by the younger generation (Wurm 2007).
Language Development: Bible: 1851–1888.
Writing System: Latin
Other Comments: Christian.