N.Z.B.C. CRITICISED

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32352, 18 July 1970, Page 20

N.Z.B.C. CRITICISED

Pronunciation Attacked

The New Zealand Broad casting Corporation ha< failed to give a lead to public pronunciation and by adopting the bsage of the uninformed condemned itself to a negative role, the directoi 'of the Canterbury Museum ' (Dr R. S. Duff) told a meeting of the Museum Trust ■ Board on Thursday. In his report, Dr Duff expressed regret at the reported decision of the N.Z.B.C. to bow to “believed” public opinion in giving the three syllable pronunciation of the name “Rolleston” as it ap- { plies to Rolleston Avenue, .Rolleston township and Miunt Rolleston, and restricting the two-syllable pronunciation to the family of William Rob leston and his decendants. “As in the case of its earlier capitulation to the 1 popular vulgarisation of certain Maori place names, the N.Z.B.C. fails to give a lead,” Dr Duff said. Mrs H. L. Garrett said sne agreed with Dr Duff that in a few generations Christchurch had forgotten—“or tried to forget”—the pronunciation of the name of one of its founders. “But in his statement on Maori pronunciation Dr Duff has trodden very heavily on one of my corns,” Mrs Garrett said. When people spoke in English they should use the English pronunciations, she said. She criticised the “nonsensical, pedantic, and affected” use of Maori by the N.Z.B.C. “We should be proud of the English language, we must give it reverance, and we must give the same reverance to Maori when it is • being used in a Maori context,” she said. The discussion was brought to a close by a board member who pointed out that the comments made by Dr Duff were not necessarily those of the board.