PRONUNCIATION OF MAORI NAMES.
The letters of the Maori Alphabet are only fourteen in number. They are—a, e, h, i, k, m, n, ng, o, p, r, t, u, w. The vowels have an Italian sound.
| The Maori | a | is pronounced like | aw and ah. |
| " | e | " | a and eh. |
| " | i | " | ee. |
| " | o | " | o and oo (short). |
| " | u | " | oo (long). |
When two vowels come together in a syllable, both are pronounced in a single breath. Thus:—
| The Maori | au | becomes ow, as in cow. |
| " | ao | ao the same. |
| " | ae | ae becomes i, as in sigh. |
| " | ai | ai the same. |
| " | ei | ei becomes ee, as in keep. |
Ng always has a nasal sound, as in ringing. G is never hard.
In common use among colonists, many names are becoming corrupted, principally by the shortening of vowel sounds. Thus, Wakatipu, the proper pronunciation of which should be Waw-kah-tee´-poo, has become Wacky-tip. The elision of a final vowel in certain instances, is common among the Maori themselves.
The following examples, selected from names occurring in this book, may be of use. Chief stress is to be laid upon the syllable indicated by an accent mark.
| Arapaoa | Ah-rah-pow´-ah |
| Ararimu | Ah-rah-ree´-moo |
| Aratapu | Ah-rah-tah´-poo |
| Ariki | Ah-ree´-kee |
| Atua | Ah´-too-ah |
| Hauraki | How´-rah-kee |
| Hinau | Hee´-now |
| Hokianga | Ho-kee-ang´-ah |
| Hone Heke | Ho´-nay Hek´-ky |
| Hongi Hika | Hong´-ee Hee´-kah |
| Hoteo | Ho-tay´-o |
| Hue | Hoo´-eh |
| Kahikatea | Ki-kah-tay´-ah |
| Kai | Ki |
| Kainga | Ki´-ng-ah |
| Kaipara | Ki´-pah-rah |
| Kamahi | Kah-mi´ |
| Kapai | Kah´-pi |
| Kapuka | Kah´-poo-kah |
| Kararehe | Kah-rah´-ray |
| Kareao | Kah-ray-ow´ |
| Kauri | Kow´-ree |
| Kawa | Kaw´-ah |
| Kawau | Kah-wow´ |
| Kawiti | Kaw´-ee-tee |
| Keri-keri | Kirry-kirry |
| Kiwi | Kee´-wee |
| Kihi-kihi | Kēē-kēē |
| Kiore | Kee-or´-eh |
| Kopura | Ko´-poo-rah |
| Koraka | Ko-rah´-kah |
| Korero | Kor´-ră-ro |
| Kororareka | Kor-or-ar´-ek-ah |
| Kotuku | Ko-too´-koo |
| Kowhai | Ko´-i |
| Kumera | Koo´-meh-rah |
| Mahurangi | Mow´-ă-rang´-ee |
| Maire | Mi´-ray |
| Manukau | Man´-oo-kow |
| Mangapai | Mong´-ah-pi |
| Mangawai | Mong-ah-wi´ |
| Mangiao | Mong-ee-ow´ |
| Maori | Mow´-ree |
| Matakohe | Mah-tah-ko´-eh |
| Marahemo | Mah-rah-hay´-mo |
| Maungakahia | Mong-ah-ki´-ah |
| Mihake | Mee´-hak-ă |
| Mongonui | Mong-o-noo´-ee |
| Ngapuhi | Ng-ah´-poo-ee |
| Ngatewhatua | Ng-ah´-tay-whot´-oo-ah |
| Ohaeawae | O-hi´-ah-wi |
| Okaehau | O-ki´-how |
| Onehunga | O-nay-hung´-ah |
| Otamatea | O-tah-mah-tay´-ah |
| Oruawharo | Or-oo-ah-whah´-ro |
| Pahi | Pah´-hee |
| Paparoa | Pah-pah-ro´-ah |
| Pakeha | Pah´-kay-hah |
| Pohutukawa | Paw´-tah-kow-ah |
| Ponamu | Po-nam´-oo |
| Puna | Poo´-nah |
| Puriri | Poo-ry´-ry |
| Rakope | Raw´-kop-ă |
| Rangatira | Rang-ah-tee´-rah |
| Rangitopuni | Rang-ee-to-poo´-nee |
| Raupo | Row´-poo |
| Reinga | Ray-eeng´-ah |
| Rimu | Ree´-moo |
| Taheke | Tah´-hak-ky |
| Tamatewhiti | Tom'-ah-tay-whee'-tee |
| Taupo | Tow'-poo |
| Tawhera | Taff'-rah |
| Taua | Tow'-ah |
| Tapu | Tah'-poo |
| Te | Tay |
| Ti | Tee |
| Wahine | Wah-hee'-nay |
| Waimate | Wi'-matty |
| Waitangi | Wi'-tang-ee |
| Waitemata | Wi'-tay-mah'-tah |
| Whangarei | Whong-ah-ree' |
| Whare | Whah'-ray |
| Whau | Whow |
| Wairoa | Wi'-raw |
| Wairau | Wi'-row |
THE END.
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES. S. & H.