MAORI PRONUNCIATION

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 40, 17 February 1937, Page 6

MAORI PRONUNCIATION

I cannot converse in Maori. but n< a public school teacher and having been at on.' time at the old St. Stephen's School for Maori boy*, where I often attended the Maori church services and also joined in the sin-viiifr of the. Maori hymns. | have nt lea-it tried to instruct children tit pronounce Maori place name* correctly. Then' arc other vowel sounds in the English lau»ii.-i;re besides a. e. i. o. u. a<

every student of phonography will know, lull these live are pronounced (and I've been told by those who know) in Maori us all. a. e, o. mi, According to "Maori - *" letter of ' Kriil'ii vhe pronounce* the RnglM, and Maori •'i ,, ' tlie same, which cannot lie rijrht. What about such word* ns Waihi, Hiriri. Tiiiiroto, etc? Xow. a* '•Maori" says, i- hard lor Knplisi, ,„• | ia ke!i;i lips ~, pronounce. n.ke the well-known word "Kaninjrahiipe." I'll! it into syllables. "K.ira n»alia pe." ami ii imiieh easier to pronounce and nicer in li-nn to than the "v'rtliy nappy" that nm-l people say. I've also hraYd the' Maoris «a \ the .litfeient tribes have diflVrcul name- for i-eiluin thinjju. TK K Ml; I.