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- Title
The pronounciation of Māori: What have we done to it in the last 100 years?
- Authors
Harlow, Ray; Keegan, Peter; King, Jeanette; Maclagan, Margaret; Watson, Catherine
- Abstract
In the words of the proverb: 'The land remains, but humankind vanishes.' One should perhaps extend this to read: 'The land remains, humankind vanishes, and language changes.' For languages are old, handed down from one generation to another, but no matter what, they change. Present-day English is not Shakespeare's or Chaucer's language. The pronunciation has changed, new words have entered the language, some words have been lost, the grammar is now different. Māori is like that as well. Over the last two centuries, many aspects of the language have become different. Many words have been borrowed from English, and become part of the language. Many new words have been created in recent years to accommodate the new topics now being spoken about in Māori. Many words have changed their meaning, e.g., 'pūtea' originally a type of basket, but now a 'fund', source of money. In the grammar, there are now constructions being used which were not correct in earlier centuries. So far as the pronunciation is concerned, how is one to observe its development? That is the substance of a research project which has only just now begun, and it is the purpose of this paper to explain the nature of that research and show some of the preliminary findings. Hence the title: The pronunciation of Māori: What have we done to it in the last 100 years? The project is supported by the Marsden Research Fund.
- Subjects
MAORI (New Zealand people); ENGLISH language; COMPARATIVE grammar; GRAMMAR; VOCABULARY
- Publication
He Puna Korero: Journal of Maori & Pacific Development, 2005, Vol 6, Issue 1, p45
- ISSN
1175-3005
- Publication type
Article