Sunday, November 2, 2008

Te Reo Māori - The Māori Language

Te Reo Māori: The Māori Language

The object of this blog is to educate those people who maybe interested to learn about one of New Zealand's official and treasured languages, Te Reo Māori: The Māori Language. Te Reo has been an important language in our history because it was once the main language spoken here in New Zealand.Te reo Māori, also commonly shortened to te reo which translates into English as the language, has a large history in New Zealand. The origins of the Māori people are said have come from Eastern Polynesia, so therefore the language obviously derives from the same place. Te Reo closely relates to the Cook Islands Māori and also the Tahitians.

To obtain more information regarding the origins and the history of Te Reo
Māori, read Dr. Ranginui Walkers book; Ka whawhai tonu matou:

Walker, R., Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou: Struggle Without End (Auckland, Penguin Books, 2004)





Kupu hou: New word: māori

māori

1. (stative) be native, indigenous, normal, usual, natural, common, fresh (of water), belonging to Aotearoa/New Zealand, freely, without restraint, without ceremony, clear, intelligible.
2. (noun) aboriginal inhabitant.

According to my knowledge and expertise in Te Reo Māori, the word "māori" was a word used to describe the indigenous group of New Zealand or Aotearoa, however the original and correct use or definition of the word is natural, normal or usual. Thus, the word was used to describe the indigenous people or tangata whenua/people of the land because when the European or the White man arrived, it was a way to distinguish the "normal" people or those who looked the same and those who didn't. Hei tauira/Example: He waimāori = Fresh water/ pure water/ normal water.

Kupu hou: New word: Raumati


Kupu hou: Raumati

Raumati

1. (stative) be summer.
2. (noun) summer.

Hei tauira: Example -Te ataahua hoki o tēnei ao raumati = The most beautiful summers day

To find a definition of a word such as this; Look up Te Aka Māori - English, English - Māori Dictionary At the web site: http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/





This picture can be found at the web link: