Monday, 21 July 2014

Kia kaha tō reo!

Nau mai, haere mai. This week is te Wiki o te reo Māori, or Māori Language Week.


Do you know how to say Girl Guides in te reo Māori? Kōhine Whakamahiri. It looks like a mouthful, but, like anything, with a little practice, it becomes easy. Here's a quick guide for pronunciation (if you speak with a NZ/Aotearoa accent): 


Kōhine (Girl): 
  • Kō = kaw (aw as in "awesome")
  • hi  = he (as in "he is a great guy")
  • ne = nay (as in "name")
Whakamahiri (Guide, tip, advise):
  • Wha = fa (as in "father")
  • ka    = ka (as in "cup"
  • ma   = ma (as in "mama")
  • hi     = he (as in "he is a great guy")
  • ri      = re (as in "reading is fun")


Kōhine Whakamahiri! Kia kaha tō reo! (Speak up!)



Taps in Māori



The official version, according to GGNZ, says "te puke," but my co-leader pointed out that that would mean "from the hill" (singular). 


For more information on Māori Language week, check out the Kōrero Māori website.

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