"PAKEHA"—WHAT IT MEANS

Chronicle (Levin), 19 July 1946, Page 2

"PAKEHA"—WHAT IT MEANS

—Press Association

GEOGRAPHIC BILL THROUGH THE HOUSE

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, .lulv 18. j Hon. O. F. Skinnor, in moving tke ! st'cuml reading of tlie Now Zenland j Geogfiipluc Hoiird Bill, in the . House todny, said most other countries 'had j the counterpart of whai it as proposed i to^eslahlish iu New Zeaiand. There] lind been an honorary Geographic Board j Umo 1921 but it was advisory only anil not vested with tlie necessary iegislative authority to inake its decisions binding oa all parties. Alr. Clyde Carr (Timaru), discussiug nomenclature aud ptonunciation,' .4aid 'tio YrpYn-eciYt'Mf t R6' raigo nmOi our ot* strict pronuueiatioa but on the other haud. people who lived iu a- place had the ri'ght by coiniuou custdm, to say how the name of their province or town or district should be prouounced. Alr. R. M. Algie (Renuiera) said he had a rooted objeetion to the use of the word pakaha. " There were two dictiouaries which dealt with the'siib ject aud the word was given two or lliree meauings. Oue diutionury stated that a pakaha was a white niau but the dictionary author did uot say that was ihe trauslation of the Alaori word. Alr. R, AJ. Alacfarlune (Christchurch South): George Heruard Sliaw liked it. )*lr. Algie: Whai niatters is, would the hoaourable Alember like ino to apply it to liim if he kuew what it lneant .' Alr. Algie went on lo say the _ word pakaha uas stated to have been adopled in 13-3U i.ail we seenied lo have been a long- time liuding out wliat it ineant. it was also suggesled that possibjy the word pakaha was a Mauri attempt at a word that began with. the letter H, had a few iutervening vowels and con sonants, and ended with the letter R (laughter). Alr. Algie said ha understood Dr. .lohnson had referred Lo the terin us one of endearnient niuong sailors. . Hon. \V.* F. l'arry: We know whai you nieiui now. Alr. P. C. ConnoUy ( Dunedin , Wesl ) : In the sailiug sliip days. Alr. Algie, who said the trauslatiuns he had. given wero from dictiouaries in the Geueral Assembly Library, added that two stamlard dictiouaries ascribed to ihe word pakaha a nieaning that wus I'ar from complimeiitary. Hon. E. T. Tirikatene said his trauslation of the word pakeha was a very respectable one. "Keha" in the ancient Maori language meant a ' ' pate, dim, whitish" object and "pa" meant "connected with" that object. Ile thoughl there would be -some difticulty in educaling' the youuger Alaori people aud ihe [tukelia lo pro nounce Alaori names eorreetly but a good deal couhl be done, he suggest'ed. by means of radio broadcasts. Mr. T. IL McCombs ( Lyttelton) "said there. were 24 uames to 43 peaks in the South lsland aud uine nuines given to lliree other peaks. Ile did not ."agree that the possessive sliould be dropped from Arthur's Pass. Ile would be sorry to see uiountaineoring clubs aclojit names oL' their own for diH'ereut 'fea--lures. It, was quite conceivalife that (lilbculties would ai'ise iu the event of search parties lnistakiiig a certaiu area because of the multiplicity of muues. llou. C. F. Skiuner, repiylng, ilppreciated' the uuauimity the dlouse had show u t'oward tlie Bill . aud agreed fhe New Zealaud Geographic Society should liave tlie right to noiuinate oue meiu ber to the Board. Tlie Bill was auiended to give ofl'ect to tliis cliauge and was then put through all stages and passed.