Grammar of the New Zealand language (2nd edition)

CHAPTER I.

Chapter 12,006 wordsPublic domain

OF THE PRONUNCIATION OF MAORI.

THE LETTERS OF MAORI ARE AS FOLLOWS:

NAME. A. | _a_ as in f_a_ll f_a_t. E. | _e_ as a in _a_corn. H. | _ha_. I. | _i_ as i in French or _ee_ in sl_ee_p. K. | _ka_. M. | _ma_. N. | _na_. O. | _o_. P. | _pa_. R. | _ra_. T. | _ta_. U. | _u_. W. | _wa_. NG. | _nga_.

OF THE SOUNDS OF THE VOWELS.

Has three sounds; the slender, somewhat broader, and the full broad sound.

1. The slender, as in hat, pat.

2. The somewhat broader; as in mar, far, father.

3. The full broad; as in wall, hall, &c.

The following is a list of words classified under these heads:

The second and third head differ but little from each other, and it sometimes may be difficult to decide under which of the two the sound should be classed.

The reader is requested to notice that the distinctions above made, are not founded so much on the length of the sound, as on the differences of the sounds themselves. If the length of the sound be considered, other classes, (at least two,) might easily be established; but the learner would, we fear, be more perplexed than benefitted by the addition.

The speaker should remember that in some compound words the last syllable of the first word, if it end in a, is pronounced strong; _e. g._

Patungā-poaka; _place where pigs are killed_. Ma-hingā-kai; _a cultivation_. Matā-pu; _the lead of a gun, a bullet_. Ta te tutuā tu; _the plebeian's manners_.

NOTE.--There are exceptions to this rule which it would be well for the student of observation to notice.

In pronouncing such words as kata, mata, tata, the speaker must be careful not to slur over the first _a_, as if it were k_e_ta, m_e_ta, &c. It should be pronounced clearly and distinctly.

Is pronounced as _a_ in bate, hate, &c., only not quite so slow, or so broad. Perhaps the final _e_ in the French words café, felicité, would be a closer resemblance; e. g., koe, rea, re, ket_e_, ma_te_, _te_nei, rer_e_.

(2.) As _e_ in _poe_tical, _th_ere; e. g., _te_na, _ren_ga-_ren_ga, _ke_te, _re_re.

Few sounds in Maori are more frequently mis-pronounced by foreigners than _e_. To_he_, nga_re_, ku_mea_, ho_ea_ mai _te_ waka, _te_ reinga, _te_ rangi, rew_er_a, kor_er_o, have been all so carelessly pronounced as to sound to the native ear as if spelt, to_hi_, ngari, kumia, ho_ia_ mai _ti_ waka, _to_ reinga, _to_ rangi, Rewara, kororo. The reader should also be careful not to give _e_ the dipthongal sound of ei; as in ne the interrogative particle, &c.

I is pronounced like the French _i_; as _ee_ in sleep, green, &c.; when distinctly and fully pronounced it imparts much melodiousness to the sentence; e. g. ar_i_k_i_, k_ī_k_i_, _to chatter_, &c.

In the following it has a shorter sound: k_ĭ_ki, _crowded_; m_ĭ_ti, t_ĭ_ti, &c.

N. B.--The speaker should be careful not to confound _i_ with the Maori _e_; as in such words as wakatoi, hoi, &c.

Has a long and a short sound, a long; as toto, _to drag_.

A short; as toto, _blood_.

N. B.--We have no sound in Maori to correspond to the o in _not_, _hot_, _pot_, &c.

This sound is also uniform in kind, and always corresponds to _oo_ in b_oo_k, &c. It sometimes, however, experiences a more quick, sometimes a more slow pronunciation.

The following table exhibits two variations beginning with the shorter:--

In pronouncing _u_ the speaker will have to guard against the error of those who prefix the aspirate when no aspirate is admissible. According to them _u_, _utu_, &c., are pronounced as if spelt _hu_, _hutu_.

He will also have to beware of the more common and stubborn error of giving _u_ the dipthongal sound of _u_ in _cube_, _tube_, _mute_, &c.--tonu, ketu, tonutia, are, in this way, pronounced as if spelt ton_iu_, toniutia, ketiu.

_U_, again, is sometimes, by careless speakers, confounded with _o_, and _vice versâ_. Thus ihu, _nose_; niho, _tooth_; have been erroneously pronounced as if spelt iho, nihu.

OF THE DIPTHONGS.

This portion of Maori literature has been as yet but little explored; and as each person's notions will vary with the acuteness of his ear, and the extent to which his judgment has been exercised, we may be prepared to expect a considerable discrepancy of opinion.

We shall therefore proceed with caution, and offer only what may be most useful, and most necessary for the student.

The field of discussion may be much limited if we first define what we mean by the word "dipthong."

The best definition we can find, and the one most suited to the nature of the dipthong, is, we think, that of Mr Smith, in Walker. "A dipthong," he says, "I would define to be two simple vocal sounds uttered by one and the same emission of breath, and joined in such a manner that each loses a portion of its natural length; but from the junction produceth a compound sound equal in the time of pronouncing to either of them taken separately, and so making still but one syllable."

Following this definition, three tests for a dipthong suggest themselves.

1. The emission of the two sounds by the same breath.

2. Their amalgamation, or more correctly, their coalescing; for each vowel in the Maori dipthong is distinctly heard.

3. The abbreviation of the natural length of each simple sound.

In applying these rules to the dipthongs, it will be perhaps most prudent to divide them, under the present imperfect state of our knowledge, into two classes. 1. The certain, or those of the dipthongal character of which there can be but little question. 2. The doubtful, or those upon which inquirers may be likely to entertain different opinions.

The dipthongs which we consider certain, are as follows:

aa, ae, ai, ao, au, ee, ei, ii, oo, ou, uu.

On these we will offer a few remarks.

Those dipthongs which are formed by a double letter, such as _aa_, are distinguished by a stronger and fuller sound; as in Wakaaro, rap_uu_tu, &c.

Is a sound for which it is difficult to find a parallel in English, and which most speakers confound with _ai_ in such words as waewae, waeroa, paewae, &c.

The English _aye_ comes perhaps closer to it. It must be pronounced broad and open, and care must be taken to keep out the squeezed sound of the i.

May be well represented by the _i_ in shine.

Has no representative in English that we are aware of. In pronouncing it, the speaker must be careful to let the _o_ be distinctly, but not too prominently, heard; and considerable care will be required to keep it distinct from _au_ in the following words, as otawhao, whawhao, tao, hao, &c.: neither again must the speaker divide the dipthong into two syllables, as some speakers do in otaota, &c.

May be pronounced like ou in drought, trout, pound, &c.

May be represented by the _ai_ in _hail_, _pail_, &c. Care must be taken not to suppress altogether the _i_, as is sometimes done in such words as ten_e_i, penei, &c.

Is a sound of some difficulty. There is no sound that we are aware of in the English language that exactly corresponds to it. Low, sow, mow, &c., may be made to resemble it, by pronouncing them slowly, and letting the sound die away into _u_.

Most foreigners are apt to pronounce it as a simple _o_. The first syllable of _koutou_ is one of very difficult pronunciation. Without great care it will be variously pronounced, as if koitou, kotou, or kutu.

By not attending to these distinctions the speaker will often lose the benefit of a good thought. A speaker, guarding his hearers against spiritual temptations, borrowed his illustration from a _poukaka_ (the perch for the parrot by which it is caught,) telling them that Satan often presents poukakas to attract them to ruin; unfortunately, however, instead of _pou_kaka he used _po_kaka, _a squall of wind and rain_, and only expressed his point by exciting their risibility.

The doubtful class of dipthongs are au, (as in mau, _for thee_, tau, _thy_,) ai, (as in maia, _brave_) ea, eo, eu, io, iu.

On these we do not wish at present to make many observations. We believe that there is a considerable difference amongst Maori speakers respecting them. Our own idea is, that there may be a few occasions on which some might be considered dipthongs; and that those occasions are, the position of the syllable, whether at the end of the word, or elsewhere, as also whether it come under the influence of the accent.

We cannot dismiss this subject without mentioning two particulars, very necessary to be remembered by all who wish to attain to an accurate pronunciation of Maori. First, as it is in English, every sentence is to be pronounced as if one word. 2. Homogeneous vowels will, when they meet, almost always run into a dipthong.

The following sentence, _koia i whiriwhiria ai e ia to ratou uri_, would be thus pronounced by a native, _koiai-whiri-whiriai-eia-to-ratouri_. _Koia ia i riri ai_ would run, _koiai-aiririai_.

This subject of homogeneous vowels coalescing into dipthongs, is one which has not received the attention it merits.

OF THE CONSONANTS.

This is the same as the English _h_.

It is not however known on the western coast of New Zealand to the southward of Mokau, in the district of Taranaki. Its place is supplied by a curious stammer or jirk of the voice. A gentle sibilancy accompanies its pronunciation amongst Ngapuhi, which some speakers erroneously confound with _sh_.

K has the sound of the English _k_; as in kill, &c.

M. N. P.

M, N, P, have the same sound as in English.

R has two sounds: (1) rough; as in _rain_, _river_, &c.; e. g., kaho_r_e, _r_o_r_ea, roro, _r_oto.

(2) The second is more soft, and is formed by a gentle jar of the tongue against the palate; so gentle indeed is the vibration, that most foreigners pronounce it like _d_ or _l_, as in _r_aro, ru_r_u, _r_imu, poua_r_u, pa_r_i, mu_r_i, ma_r_i_r_i, koi_r_i, ko_r_iko_r_i, kou_r_u, ma_r_u.

This is a letter which few Europeans pronounce correctly. It is not pronounced like the _t_ in temper, tea, &c.; but rather like the sharp _th_ of apa_th_y, sympa_th_y, A_th_ens, apo_th_ecary. Those who watch a native's tongue while pronouncing this letter, will find that the rule for attaining this sound is, to apply the tongue, not to the root, but to the top of the teeth, and hardly emit _a_.

Has two sounds, one simple, as that in wind, &c., e. g., wai, _water_, waka, _a canoe_, ware, _a plebeian_.

2. An aspirated _w_, as in when, where, &c.; whai, _follow_, whare, _a house_, &c.

NG.

The speaker should be careful, in uttering this sound not to separate the _n_ from the _g_, as is sometimes done by foreigners. The _n_ and _g_ intimately coalesce, and those who have learned to pronounce the French _encore_ will find no difficulty in catching it. The following rule will, we trust, help the beginner.

Press the middle of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, near the throat, and simultaneously relax the pressure, and pronounce na. Of course care must be taken that the tip of the tongue does not touch the palate.[3]

Following is a table setting forth a few of the variations in pronunciation of the leading dialects of New Zealand.

It will be observed that the name of a place is employed to denote the dialect for which that place and its vicinity are remarkable.

-------------+----------+--------+----------+-----------------+------------ NGAPUHI. | WAIKATO. | EAST | ROTORUA. | TAUPO. | TARANAKI. | | CAPE. | | | -------------+----------+--------+----------+-----------------+------------ Keri | Keri | | Kari | Kari | Kari Tatou | Tatou | Tatau | Tatau | Tatou & Tatau | Tatou Matou | Matou | Matau | Matau | Matou & Matau | Matou Ratou | Ratou | Ratau | Ratau | Ratou & Ratau | Ratou Koro & Korua | Korua | | | | Koutou | Koutou | Koutau | Koutau | Koutou & Koutau | Koutou Taua or Tao | Taua | Taua | Taua | | Maua or Mao | Maua | Maua | Maua | | Raua or Rao | Raua | Raua | Roua | | Hei | Hei | Hai | Hai | Hai & Hei | Ei Kei | Kei | Kai | Kai | Kai & Kei | Kei Tutei | Tutai | Tutai | Tutai | Tutai | Tutei Wha | | | | | Wa Maoa | Maia | | | Maoa | Maia & Maoa Hohou | Whawhau | | | Hohou & Whawhua | O-ou Teina | Teina | Taina | Taina | Teina | Teina Tarai | Tarai | | Tarei | Tarei | Tarai Heoi | Heoti | | | Heoti | Eoi & Eoti Kua | Kua | | Koua | Kua & Koua | Ku Kia | Kia | Kia | Kia | Kia | Ki Horo | Hohoro | | | | O-oro Topa | Tao | | | Tao | Tao Roa | | | | | Ro Tonu | Tonu | Tou | | | -------------+----------+--------+----------+-----------------+------------