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@ Maori
2025-01-24 20:27:49
Kia ora ano e te iwi whanui!
Often I pose the question to myself "How would I say this if I had no knowledge whatsoever of English?" That's basically what guides my sentence formation whenever I speak Maori.
Since the arrival of Tauiwi into our turangawaewae, our reo has shifted, largely due to intermingling with the English language, and an entire generation or two completing losing the reo.
Great efforts have been made to secure our language from total extinction, and the number of te reo speakers seems to be on the rise.
What I do notice though is that most of the time when I do hear te reo being spoken, it's cadence follows that of the English language.
Vowels are clipped, consonants are aspirated, and English thought patterns are disguised via the Maori language.
Regardless, I still appreciate and prefer the reo to be spoken rather than it not be spoken at all.
I once heard someone remark that
> "Maori sounds like Hawaiian with a New Zealand accent. Hilarious!"
So, how do I personally tackle this and try make my own reo sound more Maori?
#### Here's how:
1. Read Nupepa Maori - When the written word came to us, we dove straight in. Nupepa Maori gives great insight into how the language was used using the new medium of pen and paper.
2. Listen to the older videos of Wakahuia Docos - Wakahuia has been running for a long time and I find listening to our old people of those times a good way to hear the differences between how the reo sounds today, and how it sounded a little while back.
3. Listen Radio Kahungunu archives - They have a really nice archive of a talkback radio show.
4. People to listen for - I personally try to find anything by Timoti Karetu, Quinton Hita, and Julian Wilcox as I really enjoy the sound of how they speak the reo.
5. Listen to Cook Island Maori, Gagana Tokelau and Hawaiian (Keao Nesmith, Niihau dialect, Kaalala, Kanahele Collection) - Listening to other polynesian languages gives a good general gist of the sound of polynesian languages. I try to emulate a similar sound whenever I speak te reo.
No reira, ko tena tena, I hope that 2025 will be a good year for Te Reo Maori!
Nga rauemi:
[Nupepa Maori](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/aotearoa-he-nupepa-ma-nga-tangata-maori)
[Wakahuia](https://www.youtube.com/@wakahuiatvnz)
[Radio Kahungunu](https://www.radiokahungunu.nz/pukapuka-korero-tahi)
[Quinton Hita](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MlpNgI_T9s)
[Julian Wilcox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7AB-PHJibk)
[Timoti Karetu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx_MbrorYqw&pp)
[Kanahele Collection](https://library.byuh.edu/clinton-kanahele-collection)
[Ka Alala](https://www.youtube.com/@kaalala)
[Gagana Tokelau](https://pmn.co.nz/radio-stations/531-pi/shows/pmn-tokelau)
[Kuki Learning](https://kukilearning.com/)