Māori language: Difference between revisions
imported>Neil Copeland (New page: An Eastern Polynesian language of the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand (Aotearoa). Its closest relative is [[Cook Island Māori language|Coo...) |
imported>Neil Copeland (Māori alphabet) |
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An [[Eastern Polynesian languages|Eastern Polynesian language]] of the indigenous [[Māori]] people of [[New Zealand]] (Aotearoa). Its closest relative is [[Cook Island Māori language|Cook Island Māori]], which has particular affinities to the New Zealand Māori dialects of [[Northland]] and [[Taranaki]], and the ''k''-dialect of much of the South Island. It is part of the [[Eastern Polynesian languages#Tahitic subgroup|Tahitic subgroup]] of Eastern Polynesian. The [[Moriori language]] of the [[Chatham Islands]], east of mainland New Zealand, is a widely divergent dialect of Māori. | An [[Eastern Polynesian languages|Eastern Polynesian language]] of the indigenous [[Māori]] people of [[New Zealand]] (Aotearoa). Its closest relative is [[Cook Island Māori language|Cook Island Māori]], which has particular affinities to the New Zealand Māori dialects of [[Northland]] and [[Taranaki]], and the ''k''-dialect of much of the South Island. It is part of the [[Eastern Polynesian languages#Tahitic subgroup|Tahitic subgroup]] of Eastern Polynesian. The [[Moriori language]] of the [[Chatham Islands]], east of mainland New Zealand, is a widely divergent dialect of Māori. | ||
==Phonology and alphabet== | |||
The letters of the Māori alphabet are, in order: | |||
:''a, e, h, i, k, m, n, ng, o, p, r, t, u, w, wh''. | |||
The digraphs ''ng'' and ''wh'' each represent single sounds, and are treated as distinct letters, so that ''ngaru'' is after ''noho'', and ''whare'' after ''wiri'' alphabetically. | |||
The vowels ''a, e, i, o'' and ''u'' have [[phoneme|phonemic]] length. In older written and printed Māori, vowel length is not normally indicated. Nowadays, length is most commonly indicated by the macron: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū. In some publications, especially those by people associated with [[University of Auckland|Auckland University]], length is indicated by doubling: ''aa, ee, ii, oo, uu''. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 20:07, 29 January 2010
An Eastern Polynesian language of the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand (Aotearoa). Its closest relative is Cook Island Māori, which has particular affinities to the New Zealand Māori dialects of Northland and Taranaki, and the k-dialect of much of the South Island. It is part of the Tahitic subgroup of Eastern Polynesian. The Moriori language of the Chatham Islands, east of mainland New Zealand, is a widely divergent dialect of Māori.
Phonology and alphabet
The letters of the Māori alphabet are, in order:
- a, e, h, i, k, m, n, ng, o, p, r, t, u, w, wh.
The digraphs ng and wh each represent single sounds, and are treated as distinct letters, so that ngaru is after noho, and whare after wiri alphabetically.
The vowels a, e, i, o and u have phonemic length. In older written and printed Māori, vowel length is not normally indicated. Nowadays, length is most commonly indicated by the macron: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū. In some publications, especially those by people associated with Auckland University, length is indicated by doubling: aa, ee, ii, oo, uu.
References
Ray Harlow: A Māori Reference Grammar, Longman, Auckland, 2001