Maori Nomenclature
In last Saturday’s "Oicr Colonial Days.” “M.M.” (Greytown) In referring to my- note on place names, says that the Maoris would not have called ‘Port Nich"—tlie European abbreviation of Port Nicholson—"Po-nik” as I stated, because every Maori word ends on a vowel. But the name “Po-nik." as used by the Maoris was simply a nickname, and therefore not governed by any law. I well know what an outstanding characteristic is the Maoris’ love of nicknames, also of playing pranks, and. In fact, fun of any description, for as a child I lived in Taranaki in a district where there were a great many Maoris. This simple, childish characteristic seems to be common to all the native races. So. In the case of “Port Nich.” it didn’t take the Maoris long to adopt the white man’s version.— J.J.G. (Lower Hutt).
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19351221.2.167.6
Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 75, 21 December 1935, Page 27
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141Maori Nomenclature Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 75, 21 December 1935, Page 27
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