MAORI PLACE NAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 50, 28 February 1935, Page 6

MAORI PLACE NAMES.

From time to time letters have appeared in your correspondence columns drawing attention to the way in which so many people mispronounce the Maori names given to different places and districts in and around Auckland, and urging the people to pronounce properly and endeavour to preserve and hand down to the future these names in their proper meaning and pronunciation. I understand that at least the majority of our schoolteachers are doing their best to try to get our boys and girls to pronounce place names correctly; also to be proud to do so. But how is it possible to expect teachers to have any chance of attaining that end while we have so many uncles and aunts (uncles mostly) giving daily talks over the air, during which time one has to sit and listen to such vile mispronunciation as, for instance, ''Otahir instead of Otahulm, "Waihook" instead of Waiuku, "Kohi" instead of Koliimarama, and so it goes on from day to day? Before speaks ing over the air, and more especially to boys and girls, let alone strangers to our country, it would be well were those ladies and gentlemen to learn to pronounce at least the Maori names correctly. OLD COLONIAL.