ake / iho
Upward and Downward Direction
Put ake or iho after the verb and before ana in an ongoing phrase.
How It Works
Use verb + ake for a suitable upward orientation and verb + iho for a downward one. In e ... ana, place the directional before ana. The forms do not change with the subject. They can accompany verbs already expressing ascent or descent, reinforcing or clarifying direction.
Compare titiro ake, looking up, with titiro iho, looking down. These particles do not independently establish the toward/away contrast associated with mai and atu.
Other environments require their own reading. Descriptive phrases can use these particles for relative degree; i muri iho means “afterwards,” and possessive ake can mean “own.” These extensions do not make the particles freely interchangeable. Temporal expressions describe event order, whereas comparative expressions describe degree.
Examples (3)
- I titiro ake a Rangi ki te tuanui.
Rangi looked up at the ceiling.
Ake gives the looking an upward orientation.
- E heke iho ana te ngeru i te rākau.
The cat is descending from the tree.
Iho accompanies descent and precedes ana.
- I muri iho, ka katia te toa.
Afterwards, the shop was closed.
Iho occurs in an established temporal expression.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Introduce titiro ake and titiro iho as looking upward and downward. Then recognize established extensions such as i muri iho, keeping vertical direction, temporal order and relative degree distinct.