PRONUNCIATION OF MAORI

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 71, 1 November 1940, Page 24

PRONUNCIATION OF MAORI

Sir,-A correspondent asks why Maori is not taught in all schools throughout New Zealand. The Maori language is not taught in the schools for Natives because the purpose of those schools is to teach the Natives English. The Maori language may be taken as a subject for (Continued on next page)

\ (Continued from previous page) Matriculation, however, but a pass in this subject becomes more difficult each year for the Native because (owing to generations of Natives being taught only English during their school period) many of the adult Natives of to-day use a pidgin English-cum-Maori language far removed from the language of their grandparents, and also from the pure Maori language needed for a pass in Matriculation. The lack of teachers in this subject is also a difficulty which would have to be overcome before it could be taught in all our schools. In addition to Mr. Kohere’s very useful hints on the pronunciation of Maor1 (see Listener, August 30), may I recommend to your correspondent "First Lessons in Maori," by H. W. Williams, M.A., 7th Edition, and ‘" Complete Manual of Maori Grammar and Conversation," by A. T. Ngata, M.A., LL.B. But if only a short cut is needed then fix the correct pronunciation of the vowels as follows:A as in Mamma E as in send I as in tip or as ee in sheep or i in machine © as in obey, U as in ruby, or 00 in cook

Get the nga sound by saying sing-ah, sing-eh, sing-ih, sing-oh, sing-u. Slur the two syllables together and the resultant last syllable is the vowel sound required, which should then be practised. Wh is something like ph in epitaph, yet not the sharp sound of f. Blow your porridge in front of ero and you will then get the pronunciation of Whero; the same also for Whangarei. The above table has all the fifteen letters of the Maori alphabet. A, E, H, I, K, M, N, Ng, O; P, R, T, U, W, Wh. In pronouncing a Maori word divide it at the vowels. Do not roll the r’s. Vowels have only one sound. In words when vowels follow each other, as in Wai, Maori, etc., each vowel must be given its own true sound — Wa-i = Wa-ee, Ma-o-ri. Do not confusé ae and ai, ao and au, as in tao and tau, or o and ou as in koukou and koko. Accent as a rule is on the first syllable. Words beginning with Whaka take the accent on the third syllable. Examples of division: O-a-ma-ru. O-ne-hu-nga. Ka-ra-nga-ha-pe. Wha-nga-re-i. A-hi-pa-ra. Wa-i-ma-nga-ro-a.

ROB

(Ahipara).

A ha ka na nga Ta ta wa wha iE he ke ne nge re te we whe I hi ki ni ngi pi ri wi whi Rage ho hu ko ku mo mu no nu ngo ngu Le) Le po pu ro ru to tu wo wu who whu