WANGANUI’S NAME

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 86, 12 April 1938, Page 6

WANGANUI’S NAME

SOCIETY DISCUSSION ! LETTERS FROM BULLS RESIDENT At last night’s meeting of the Whanganui Historical Society discussion arose concerning the spelling of the city’s name. “There is no doubt at all that it should be spelled with the ‘if,” said the chairman, Mr. L. J. B. Chapple. “How we are to bring it about is to be seen. It has been suggested that a monster petition should be inaugurated, while others consider that if the ‘h’ were added in general use and adopted by the Press the change could be brought about.” It was explained by Mr. Chapple that to change the name from Petre to Wanganui an Act of Parliament hado been necessary, and to place the “h” in the word further legislation would be needed. A letter was received from Mr. F. J. Ellis, of Bulls, throwing some light on the question. It was as follows: — I “My explanation of the “h” being omitted is that th? Whanganui tribes slurred that letter or did not emphasise it as the northern tribes did. Pakehas who did not understand came to the contusion that it should be spelled without the ‘h’. I do not think that you will find many Wanganui Maoris writing the word to-day without the ‘h.’ They treat all words with an *h’ in the same way as is instanced in ‘ehoa,’ and ‘haere.’ . . . “The meaning is applicable—‘Whanga,’ harbour; ‘nui,’ large. I remember when Mr. Rochefort was surveying the trial line for the Main I Trunk railway he took with him some , i Wanganui natives to the Waikato. The Maoris of this district, and the , Nga-te-Maniapotos were very much . I amused at the pronunciation of the I I name of their home river by the Wanganui Maoris.”