"AW, GNUTS!"

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 8

"AW, GNUTS!"

COMMENT FROM U.S.A

PRONUNCIATION OF MAORI.

I VARIATIONS OP NGAIO.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day.

Some weeks ago news arrived in Christchnrch indicating that the great American public was having the utmost difficulty in pronouncing the Christian name of the prominent Christchurch authoress, Miss Jsgaio Marsh. Guyo, "Gayo," and even "Naggio" were current versions heard in American libraries. Interviewed by the "Star-Sun," Mies Marsh carefully explained how she considered her really attractive name should be pronounced. A copy of the interview found its way to America, and is the subject of comment in the latest issue of the "Wilson Library Bulletin," the erudite organ which first raised the question of "Guyo" versus "Naggio." Says the "Bulletin," "Our recent little piece about the pronunciation of the name Xgaio (Jfy-o) March, the rising (pardon us, risen) young New Zealand detective story writer, seems to have created a bit of disturbance, all right, on the other side of the world.

"Every boat brings us correspondence on the subject. The influx of clippings indicates that even the New Zealand papers have taken up the subject in a big way. "Alice Woodhouse, of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, writes that Ngaio is the Maori name of a tree, 'an attractive, spreading tree that grorws along the sea coast . . . with shiny green leaves covered with little golden freckles and small starry

pinky-white flowers, set close to the stem.' (That is really an enchanting description. Now I am sure I shall not be content until my garden boasts aj Ngaio tree in bloom). j

"Miss Woodhouse tells us that "Ny-o" as we had indicated, represents the usual pronunciation of Miss March's name. On the other hand, Mr. E. J. Bell, librarian of the Canterbury Public Library, Christchurch (Miss 'Marsh's city), informs us that the 'Ng' should be pronounced as in the word 'singing.' As for Miss Marsh herself, she makes a fine kettle of fish for the Maori scholars to jump in by contending that tliey are all wrong. "Actually, she maintains in an interview reported in the 'Christchurch Star-Sun* that her name has three syllables, the pronunciation being the same as the spelling, with the exception that the 'g* is 6ilent.

"After wrestling with that for a while, we toie out a handful of hair, and cried 'Aw gnuts!' and that is not Maori!" '