Concise Maori Dictionary – New Revised Edition

Tu Tangata, Issue 20, 1 October 1984, Page 40

Concise Maori Dictionary - New Revised Edition

Compiled: A.W. Reed, Revised: T.S. Karetu Publisher: Reeds

Dictionaries come into their own when we are at a loss for words. We hunt through for what we want to say and then find the word not there. And the other use is to find out the meaning of a word, and sometimes too, kua ngaro the kupu.

I’d like to say this isn’t true of the new revised edition of the Concise Maori Dictionary, engari....

For most commonly used maori and english words, the dictionary copes well. The small size and uncluttered layout make for easy referal. However for language learners like me, who need to dive into the english to find the maori equivalent, it's not so easy.

Take a phrase like, “your browness lessened by pakeha blood”.

Rush to lessened... see Less: iti iho. Ah don’t think so. Go to diminished: whakaiti: despise or diminish. Don’t

think that was the writer’s intent when she talked about blood being diluted, definately didn't mean to despise the pakeha genes.

Well maybe I’m a bit academic with my use of the dictionary, but I found it wanting in the use of the words in context. I’d recommend use of Williams: ‘A Dictionary of the Maori Language’ put out by the Polynesian Society. At least with this you can check if you’re using the word correctly.

In fact this very point of using Williams is brought out in the preface by Sam Karetu. He’s done an excellent job of taking out little-used words and words used in association with mythological or historical characters.