Maori, also referred to as te reo (the language), is one of New Zealand's three official languages (along with English and NZ Sign Language) and is commonly spoken by people of Maori descent. It is considered an East Polynesian language and is closely related to Tahitian. Many of New Zealand's place names are of Maori origin and describe the physical geography of the environment.
Like many native languages under Western colonization, Maori has had many ups and downs over the past 200 years. At the beginning of the 19th century Maori was the predominant language spoken in New Zealand. As more white English speakers arrived on the islands, the Maori language was increasingly confined to small, Maori-only communities. By the mid-20th century there were concerns that the language was dying out. Major initiatives in the 1980s were launched to bring about a revival of Maori.
Today, most government departments have bilingual names, and many schools, museums, and libraries have bilingual signs. There are currently 2 Maori language TV stations and a Maori radio station. Parents have the option of sending their children to Maori-immersion kindergarten and more families are choosing to raise bilingual children. Recent polls show that over 130,000 people of Maori ethnicity now speak and understand Maori.
With few Maori living on the South Island, we rarely get the chance to hear Maori spoken, although we do listen to the Maori radio station sometimes. It's a beautiful language and I can't wait to hear more of it when we travel to the North Island.
If you're interested in learning more about the Maori language, check out the New Zealand government's Maori Language Commission website at:
http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/
If you want to look up a word in Maori, go to the online Maori Dictionary:
http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/
Here is a sample of common Maori words.
= cloud
= Land of the Long White Cloud (one of several translations)
= love and affection
= river, valley
= welcome
= farewell
= a dance and chants performed by the men
= a Maori feast where the food is cooked/steamed in an earth oven
= wind
= legendary homeland of the Maori
= good; well done
= food
= hello, good bye, good luck
= prestige, power, control
= bird
= mountain
= sea or lake
= tattoo
= island, or anything that is isolated
= foreigner, white person, European
= night
= spring of water
rangi= sky
= lake
= sacred
wai = water
= spirit
= bay, stretch of water, inlet
= house
= land
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