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3.1 Identification of Maori words
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3.1.1 Maori alphabet
The Māori alphabet consists of 13 letters and two digraphs.
Letters:
A, E, H, I, K, M, N, O, P, R, T, U, W
Digraphs:
NG, WH
3.1.2 Features of Maori words
Vowels
All Māori words end with a vowel. Long vowels are signaled by either repeating the vowel or by placing a macron above the vowel.
e.g. aa or ā
A vowel can be preceded or followed by another vowel, consonant or digraph. A digraph never forms the end of a word.
e.g. ao, āwhina, ingoa, iwi, ngutu, umere, whio
Digraphs
A digraph, unless at the start of a word, is always preceded and followed by a vowel.
e.g. āwhina, ngārara, taonga, wheke
Consonants
A consonant, unless it is at the beginning of a word, is always preceded or followed by a vowel.
e.g. atua, ētahi, hinaki, kereru, taua
3.1.3 Dialect
There are a number of dialects in te reo Māori.
Some examples of variations in pronunciation are Kai Tahu’s use of `k’ instead of `ng’ (e.g. raki for rangi, tākata for tāngata) or Tuhoe’s use of `n’ (e.g. rani, rangi). Taranaki descendants replace `h’ with a catch in the throat called a glottal stop (e.g. `aere for haere, or mi’i for mihi).
3.1.4 Reference resources - Maori language - Te Reo Māori resources
A. W. (Alexander Wyclif) Reed, The Reed Dictionary Of Māori Place Names: Te Papakupu Ingoa Wāhi Māori (3 ed, Reed, Auckland NZ, 1996). ISBN 0790004941 (pbk).
Bruce Biggs, The Complete English-Māori Dictionary (Auckland University Press, Auckland NZ, 1981). ISBN 0196479894 (hbk).
Bruce Biggs, English-Māori, Māori-English Dictionary (Auckland University Press, Auckland NZ, 1990). ISBN 1869400569 (pbk).
David Karena-Holmes, Māori Language: Understanding The Grammar/Te Reo Māori: He Whakamārama Wetenga Reo (Reed Books, Auckland NZ, 1997). ISBN 0790005727 (pbk).
English-Māori Word Translator, Otago University at: http://kel.otago.ac.nz/translator/ .
H M Ngata, Whai Ngata, English-Māori Dictionary (Learning Media, Wellington NZ, 1993). ISBN 0478058454 (pbk).
Available online at http://www.learningmedia.co.nz/ngata/index.html.
Herbert W Williams, A Dictionary Of The Māori Language (Government Printer, Wellington NZ, 1971).
K T Harawira, Karetu T S, Teach Yourself Māori (Reed, Auckland NZ, 1994). ISBN 0790003252 (pbk).
Kimikupu Hou Database, New Zealand Council For Educational Research, Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa mō te Rangahau i te Mātauranga at:
http://www.nzcer.org.nz/search/kimikupu.htm (covers the most current and technical Māori words).
P M Ryan, The Reed Dictionary Of Modern Māori (Reed, Auckland NZ, 1997).
ISBN 0790005913 (hbk).
Pita Cleave, Katarina Mataira, Rangimarie Rose Pere, E C Parnwell, Oxford Māori Picture Dictionary He Pukapuka Kupuāhua Māori (Oxford University Press, Wellington NZ, 1978). ISBN 0195580281 (pbk).
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Te Matatiki: Contemporary Māori Words (Oxford University Press, Auckland NZ, 1996). ISBN 0195583418 (pbk).
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Te Matatiki: Ngā Kupu Hou a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Wellington NZ, 1992). ISBN 0908878052 (pbk).
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Ngā Kupu Hou 1 Ngā Hākinakina (1) (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Wellington NZ, 1990). ISBN 0908878001 (pbk).
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Ngā Kupu Hou 2 Ngā Hākinakina (2) (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Wellington NZ, 1991). ISBN 0908878036 (pbk).
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Māori For The Office (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Māori Language Commission, Wellington NZ, 1990). ISBN 0908878028 (pbk).
Wakareo ā-ipurangi (Wakareo ā-ipurangi is a compilation of a large number of separate Māori-English and English-Māori online dictionaries, lexicons, and word-list resources - compiled, organised and maintained by Wordstream Corporation Ltd - Te Tokapū Whakairo Kupu) (subscription required) http://www.reotupu.co.nz .
