Since the 1960s there has been a move in New Zealand to use authentic Māori pronunciation when pronouncing Māori loan words, in an effort to be culturally sensitive to the Māori people, and to acknowledge the bicultural nature of New Zealand (Gordon & Deverson, 1998).  For this reason, television and radio broadcasters make a deliberate effort to use Māori pronunciation in loan words. 

In written publications, however, the effort to use correct Māori spelling in Māori loan words (with macrons over long vowel sounds) varies.  For instance, while the University of Auckland makes a deliberate effort to follow conventions laid down by the Māori Language Commission, The New Zealand Herald and The New Zealand Listener appear not to do so.

To learn more about the pronunciation and spelling of Māori words, click on the appropriate link below.

Quite a number of Māori words and phrases that describe Māori culture are in common usage in Kiwi English.  It is likely that you’ll hear them on the television and radio, and read them in the newspaper. 

Develop your knowledge of these words more by clicking on the links to other websites, and doing the exercises below.

The following Māori terms are used to describe Māori cultural practices which have become an important part of New Zealand life and being Kiwi, and are therefore commonly used in Kiwi English.  Click on each of the following terms to view:

The haka is a fierce rhythmical dance (Ryan, 1994) accompanied by a chant of challenge.  It is performed by New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks, before all international rugby matches.  

Hāngi is the name for an earth oven and for the food cooked in it.  This method of cooking is popular among Māori people.

The hongi is the traditional form of greeting between Māori people made by pressing noses together.   

A pōwhiri is a traditional Māori welcome ceremony in which visitors are welcomed.  Such an event often takes place on a marae but can also take place anywhere where hosts wish to welcome visitors formally.  To learn more click here.

A poi is a ball on a cord which was traditionally used by indigenous Māori people to increase flexbility and coordination.  It is now used in poi dances by Māori wahine.   

Waka is the name for a Māori canoe.  The arrival of waka at Waitangi form an important part of the annual Waitangi Day celebrations held on the 6th of February in the Bay of Islands.

The following extract was written by a Kiwi woman who was trying to decide where to send her five year old son to school.  In making this decision she reflects on her own educational experience which was enriched through the presence of Māori children and the focus on Māori cultural practices.  

The author also incorporates a number of Māori loan words which have been underlined.  See if you can work out their meaning from the context.  Now read the extract and click here if you'd like to listen to it read.

School choice more than just grades

My son will start primary school in a couple of months and there are a few practical considerations that crop up well before the big date. The first question is where to send him - a question that my parents, like most others any time before the 1990s, never had to face, bringing us up in a small rural township where there was one primary, one intermediate and one high school. There were a few kids from "the Hill" (Pukekohe Hill!) who caught the bus to different schools around Auckland, but they were a tiny minority.

Like most people of my age and general demographic, I embrace the idea of multi-culturalism but have a sneaking suspicion that the way New Zealand society is going will mean it is becoming less of a reality as time moves on. I can see that most public kindies and schools really attempt to incorporate elements of Māori culture, for example, into their curriculums, but without actual non-Pākehā around, how much influence will it really have?

All pretty heavy questions to be thinking about when one's children are three and four years old, I agree. But the question of which educational track to get them on is a big one for many parents.
(Adapted from De Boni, 2011)
Recorded by Matthew Tarawa