ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 36, 23 December 1843, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Southern Cross: StR, In a recent number of the Auckland Times I noticed an article entitled " The Maori Language," and as I am unwilling that such nonsense should go forth to the public, and be mistaken by the uninitiated for a piece of just criticism, I hope you will allow me through the medium of your columns to make a few animadversions upon that production, especially as its author has invited reproof by the following, "we are quite willing to be criticised with as much freedom as we have ourselves adopted." This effusion, evidently Editorial by the use of the mysterious We, is intended I presume for a critique upon the language generally, and the principles upon | which it has been reduced to a written medium, but is in reality such a palpable display of ignorance and presumption, that setting aside the absurdity of any person attempting to criticise the peculiarities of a language of which he knows nothing, I wonder how the Editor of the Times, who by his hackneyed quotations evidently puts forth pretentions to some degree of ' classical knowledge, could advance and attempt to support such puerile sentiments. Before I proceed to analize and expose the fallacy of the principles upon which he argues, permit me to j allude to the objectionable nature of the following sentence, "In fact, a student shall take up a copy of the New Testament in what is called a translation into Maori, and after he has got sufficient insight into the trick, he will find somewhere about a quarter of the words, divested of their false orthography, are English words borrowed, but, like a stolen horse, so cropped and doctored, concealed in a disguise so grotesque and startling, tnat their most familiar friends cannot recognise them." Even if the Editor's views on this question were supported by common sense or log'cal argument, nothing in my opinion can justify him in designating the introduction of foreign words a trick, when it is evident that the introduction of such words was unavoidable, in order to convey ideas before unknown, and when, as I shall presently shew, they could be introduced in no other way than that which has been adopted. " Introducing English words with false consonants, and a baby prolongation of sound at the end ot every word, to imitate Maori peculiarities." This appears to be the first objection brought forward, I therefore proceed to examine its merits. It cannot be supposed that the Maori language in its primitive state possesses the same advantages as the more polished and refined languages of the civilized world, where the conventional usages and artificial structures of modern so* ciety nece«sarily lead to the adoption of words and names which did not previously exist ; these creations may be formed either by syllabic compounds from the language itself, or by varying the original root of foreign words to suit the peculiar genius of the language they are intended to amplify : this seems to bave been pretty generally the case with most lan-

j guages, even the much and justly admired language of the Greeks seems to partake of this peculiarity in an eminent degree, especially in the alteration of foreign names, which they invariably adapted to the genius and euphony of their own tongue, thus forming by compound roots and particles the most prominent feature of that ancient and celebrated language. Ad* mitting then the Maori language haB not hitherto possessed that variety of names and words, acquired by the wants and necessities of refined society, nevertheless in its natural conformation it can boast of certain nice shades of expression which render it highly susceptible of cultivation and improvement, and which at all events relieve it from the imputation of being a mere interjectional combination of sesquipedalia verba. In order then to translate a book like the New Testament, abounding with names, and expressing qualities totally unkuown to the Natives, the introduction of some words to convey these meanings became absolutely necessary : the question is, how are these words to be introduced ; Bre they to be conformed to the genius of the language or not ? The answer I think is obvious ; foreign words must asmme the peculiarities of the Natives with whom they are to be associated, before they can become natives themselvei, unless indeed our critic would advocate the plan of inserting only such portions of words as the native elements of the language will suffice to articulate, in which state they might justly be compared to a "cropped horse." 1 o support his theory, the Editor of the Times adduces the word King, observing, " and to make it sound pretty we call it King-ec," and this "to humour the absurd dogma that no word in Maori must end in a consonant." Facts may be absurd, but they are very stubborn things, and 1 beg to tell the learned Editor, that this peculiarity of every word in Maori terminating in a vowel, is no dogma, but one of these stubborn facts that cannot be gainsayed, and I defy him, or any other erudile person, to produce one pure native syllable or word which does not terminate in one or other of these sounds a c i o v, that is giving these characters the French or Italian sound. Now, if this fact, that every syllable of pure Maori words terminates in one or other of these vowels be establit-hed, it follow* of necessity that the same rule must be observed in ths introduction of foreign words, for supposing we omitted to write the final vowel, the Native will be sure to append it in pronunciation ; thus our critic's somewhat facetious remark " to make it sound pretty" is fallacious. The ng in King" forms in Maori but one consonant, and consequently having no sound of its own — this word must be either introduced aa Xi Kee, or Ki-ngi Kee-ngee. Such words as Luke, John, David, &c, can only be incorporated into the language by making use of those letters of the Maori alphabet which have the nearest approximation in sound. Thus in the case of David, though it ia true, " that we have lots of T's, "Tawit," as it would sound Tarweet would not bear so near a resemblance as Rawiri, the form now used, which approaches nearly to tbe sound of Darweedee, as the learned Editor has overlooked, or is ignorant of the fact that the letter R in Maori frequently partakes of the sound of the D, insomuch, that some have contended that for the purpose of distinguishing this peculiarity in certain word 9, the D should have been introduced into the alphabet. I have already observed that the practice of accommodating foreign words to the orthography and genius of the language they are intended to amplify and embellish, is strictly in accordance with general usage, and in fuither illustration of the fact I may refer to our own language, which would be reduced to a state of povetty, even below that of the primitive Maori, were it to be deprived of every word not purely Saxon; and yet almost all the terms we have borrowed from the Latin, Greek, French, &c, have been altered to suit its general features. This according to our critic's theory should not have been done. Thus it I felt inclined to commend his diligence and perseverance in prosecuting the study of the Maori Language, I ou(?bt to do so in some such strain as this, Admire the Editor of the Times' diligentia and perseverantia in unravelling the intricacies of Maori 1 But 1 must hasten on, passing over then tbe extreme modesty of "the callow- winged nestling" whoopens its beak in derision, at the idea of a resemblance between the Maori and Greek and Hebrew, I come to the following profound remark, " Maories learning our language, and learning to read their own, should have their alphabet taught to them according to English pronunciation, else are they most willfully and unnecessarily perplexed and impeded in their study. The whole process of writing tbe language is arbitrary, and in an English Colony there is no earthly use in giving the vowels the value they possess in the French language instead of our own." Now it will b» obvious, that before you can teach a Native who is learning to read his Testament, to pronounce the words according to the English sound of the letters composing them, you must entirely change the orthography of the language ; whether such a plan would be judicious, a few remarks will suffice to shew, but betore I adduce them I would observe as a confirmatory proof of the beautiful simplicity of the present system of orthography, that a Native invariably spells correetlys but I leave your intelligent readers to judge from the following specimens whether this would be the caie if our learned critic's scheme were adopted, and whether such a system would be equally concise and elegant with the present : titiro would be teeteero, and kanohi carnohee, rite rectay, waewae wywy, otiia oteeeear, puehu pooahoo, mimiti meemeetee, whakatupuranga wharkartoopooranga, whakapakeke toharkarparkaykay; but enough, the absurdity and inconvenience of such a system is apparent. I am sorry that the limits of a newspaper communication will not allow me to notice some other topics contained in the article which appeared in the Times, such as the "poverty of the language," the " iteration of syllables," which my critical friend considers a substitute for expression, &c, but I have already trespassed too far upon your valuable Bpace, and therefore beg to subscribe myself,— Your humble servant, CADMUS. Auckland, December 14, 1843. To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir, — I was surprised to find in the last publication of the Government print " the Chronicle, 1 ' the disgraceful subject of the Government and Mr. Cooper's affairs, again brought before tbe public. One would have supposed that Mr. Shortlands connection with the disgraceful proceedings in this case was sufficiently ohvious to have suggested the propriety of letting the subject drop out of the recollection of the public as quietly as possible ; but no, he returns to the charge again ; at least his newspaper, the " Chronicle," conducted by his chief Clerk Mr. Freeman does so for him, and taking up a sew position, attempts to serein

the Government, under the shallow subterfuge of misstating the grounds upon whish the petition of the Colonial Treasurer proceeded, of having the houses and allotments sold a second time. The petition it is well known, merely stated that Cooper s effects as , eized by the Sheriff, were insufficient to discharge the defalcations to the Government, and sought the Judge for an order to sell the bouse previously purchased by Mr. Kelly, to make up that sum. It is altogether an after-thought of the Government now to uretend that that application was made on the ground of Mr. Kelly having been a Trustee, and therefore incompetent to become the purchaser. Had this ineenious device only been suggested to the Attorney General when he appeared in Court in the matter, he would have been spared the mortification of the dishonorable defeat which his motion then met with. Mr Shortland should have thought twice before roaKine'the present statement thro' the Chronicle, of Mr. •Kelly being a Trustee, and appointed to bid at the sale for the property alluded to, as if true, it merely proves that the sale itself was a mock Auction, and that Mr. Kelly was appointed by the Government to act as puffer on the occasion ; and thereby lo deceive the public by counterfeit biddings-a proceeding on the part of the Government equally disreputable with the attempt to sell the property over again. The story of the Trustees is altogether untrue. Mr. bhortland did coquette with the gentlemen named by the Chronicle to induce them to become Trustees, but the arrangement was not carried into effect. The truh ot the matter is, that the subject will not under any aspect whatevfr, bear to be investigated-: it is black in all its features, and all that Mr. Shortland s Chief ■Clerk can write about it, will neither alter the facts of the case, nor change the opinions of the pubjic concerning it. The sum of money becomes due in an improper manner— Mr. Shortland acting for the Gjvernment, attempts to recover it in an improper manner, and lastly, frauds are attempwd to be practised on the public. In conclusion. Mr. Editor, allow me to remark that this case affords a very striking illustration of the different views entertained by the public press on the same subject. On the occasion of the petition mentioned above, for having the property sola a second *time, being moved in Court, the Times merely noticed the fact without a word of remark. The Chronicle again, gave the proceedings at length, but saw no harm in it, and expressed no displeasure regarding them ; while you on the other hand, overpowered with ■feelings of indignation *at the shameful attempt to impose upon the public, very properly exposed the whole proceedings, as an honest and independent Journalist .ought to do. — Yours, &c " SPECTATOR." Auckland, December 21, 1813.