Pronunciation of Maori.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 184, 5 August 1931, Page 6

Pronunciation of Maori.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —Some years ago Sir A. T. Ngata edited a “ Complete Manual of Maori Grammar and Conversation with Vocabulary.” This work, which is inexpensive, was published by Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd and can no doubt be obtained from them. The first chapter is opened with instruction on the pronunciation of Maori and the sounds of the fifteen letters in the Maori alphabet. As some interest is now being taken in the subject the information should be found useful. These instructions are appended. I am, etc., AGRICOLA. PRONUNCIATION OF MAORI. The Maori alphabet is composed of fifteen letters, viz.:—a. e. h. I,l*. as u, w, n|f, wh; the sounds of which art as follows: — a has one sound. Italian n.>• u£ .Y* r n * T he lemrth Ist the short; 2nd, the long- T *}* word mamma gives the two sounds e rAfronouneed as e in dedication or send; h is the same in both lanKuages; i is pronounced like ee in sheep, or 1 in tip k lVa's°the' same sound as the English k in the same sound as in English; o has a short sound, bk notl, to pinch; and a. lone? one, as to, to drap; p has the same sound as in English; i,., s j. soft sound which almost resembles 1 as in rere. to fly; it is articulated farther forward in the mouth than In English The student must be careful not to roll the r; t should also be pronounced as far forward u "has* the sound of oo in cook (short) and in cool (lontO; w is pronounced as in winter, ex.: v ero, to nc has a peculiar sound which must be uttered in closely unitin* the n to the pr without allow ina the tonirue to touch th«palate The position of the organs of •Iperr-h is the same for this letter as for k ami P. rronoui.ee ka. *a. n*a in quick succession without shifting the organs of wh P is an aspirate somewhat like ph in epitaph. e.R.. whero. red; Kawhia. Avoid civine it the sharp sound of f. \Vh« n a vowel is doubled it is simply lengthened. Every consonant should be pronounced separately. Each syllable must end with a vowel. In the pronunciation of vowels standing together, that of each should Indistinctly heard y« t not drawn out: the slide from one to the oth« r should l.e smooth and brief. accentuation. Maori words are generally accented on the first syllable; but compound wolds have a secondary accent on the second portion of the word. Verbal particles, the propositions, and the articles he. te, are unaccented; the article npra is usually accented if followed by a word of two syllables; but when the particle a precedes the pronouns au. koe. or mea it becomes accented. When a aord bigin? with the form nhaka accentuate the third syllable. It is particularly important that the rowel sounds t>e pronounced full and pure from the beginning; otherwise the speaker will confuse words like tao and tau; matou and