Maori Language
Te reo Māori is the indigenous language of the Māori people of New Zealand and is one of the country's three official languages, alongside English and New Zealand Sign Language. Historically, it was the dominant language in New Zealand until the mid-19th century, when European colonization led to a decline in its use as English became more prevalent. The language is a Polynesian dialect, closely related to languages spoken in Rarotonga, French Polynesia, and Hawaii, and is part of the Malayo-Polynesian language group.
Following significant decline, particularly after the late 19th century due to assimilation policies and societal pressures, efforts to revitalize te reo Māori began in the 1970s. Initiatives included the establishment of Māori-language schools and media dedicated to promoting the language. The Māori Language Act of 1987 recognized te reo as an official language and established the Māori Language Commission to support its preservation.
Recent statistics indicate a positive trend in language proficiency, with approximately 55% of Māori adults able to speak more than a few words or phrases of te reo, and about 21% of Māori residents in New Zealand reporting conversational ability. The language remains more widely spoken in the North Island than in the South Island, reflecting regional variations in its use and the ongoing efforts aimed at cultural and linguistic revitalization.
Maori Language
Te reo Māori is the language of the Māori people of New Zealand. Te reo Māori is one of the nation's three official languages, along with English and New Zealand Sign Language. For several hundred years, te reo Māori was the dominant language of New Zealand (or Aotearoa, as the Māori call it). As European colonization of New Zealand began to increase in the mid-nineteenth century, however, English began to surpass te reo Māori as the prevailing language. Many Māori abandoned the language in favor of English, and by the 1970s, use of te reo Māori had declined significantly.
Since then, efforts have been made to revitalize and preserve the language. Today, Māori-language schools, government entities, and media outlets all work to promote the continued use of te reo Māori.
History and Classification
Scholars believe that sometime between 1200 CE and 1300 CE, Polynesian settlers in seafaring canoes traveled to the island nation now known as New Zealand and established a permanent home there. For several hundred years, these settlers lived in relative isolation from the rest of the world. During this time, they developed a distinct culture known as Māori culture.
The Māori spoke te reo Māori, or simply "te reo." Te reo is a Polynesian dialect very similar to the dialects of Rarotonga, French Polynesia, and Hawaii. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian group of languages, which also includes Indonesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian dialects.
Te reo began as an oral language. For much of the nineteenth century, it was the main language spoken in New Zealand. Newly arrived European settlers (Pākehā) had to learn to speak te reo if they wanted to communicate with the Māori, whom they depended on for trade. As European colonization continued, the need for a written version of the Māori language became evident. Consequently, a few English missionaries worked with a British linguist to codify a written form of te reo. Written te reo comprises an alphabet containing five vowels (a, e, i, o, and u), eight consonants (h, k, m, n, p, r, t, and w), and two digraphs (ng and wh).
By the 1870s, the number of English-speaking European settlers in New Zealand had surpassed the number of Māori inhabitants. As a result, English had become the predominant language. Although te reo remained popular in Māori communities, its use elsewhere began to decline. By the end of the nineteenth century, policies had been passed to ban the use of the Māori language among children in schools. Māori parents who wanted their children to succeed in a world dominated by Pākehā began to encourage the use of English over te reo, even at home. Over the next several decades, use of te reo continued to wane.
In the 1950s, Auckland University added Māori-language courses to its curriculum, raising the language's prestige. Later, Māori organizations began to demonstrate a renewed sense of pride in their culture and language. Fearing the continued decline of te reo, they took action to save it. By the 1970s, however, use of te reo had reached its lowest point, with just 10 percent of Māori able to speak the language fluently.
In the early 1980s, te reo began to make a slight comeback. A number of Māori-language preschools dedicated to teaching te reo to children opened. The establishment of a few Māori-language elementary schools soon followed. In 1987, the government of New Zealand passed the Māori Language Act, which established te reo Māori as one of the nation's official languages. The act also created the Māori Language Commission to oversee efforts to preserve te reo.
Geographic Distribution and Modern Usage
Efforts to revitalize te reo Māori continue today. New Zealand operates a number of state-funded Māori-language primary schools as well as some postsecondary educational institutions that offer graduate degrees in Māori studies. Radio stations focused on Māori-language programming have been broadcasting in New Zealand since the early 1990s. Since 2004, Māori Television, a government-funded broadcaster, has provided New Zealanders with programming that emphasizes Māori culture and aims to preserve and revive te reo Māori.
Such efforts seem to be having a positive effect. According to a "statistical snapshot" released by the Māori Language Commission in 2014, approximately 55 percent of Māori adults are able to speak more than just a few te reo words or phrases, and about 11 percent can speak te reo very well. Results from census data collected in 2013 indicate that of New Zealand's approximately six hundred thousand Māori residents, slightly more than 21 percent can converse in te reo.
A map released by New Zealand's Ministry for Culture and Heritage in 2001 reveals that the highest concentrations of te reo speakers in New Zealand are found on the nation's North Island. About 21 to 25 percent of Māori living in the southern region of the North Island are able to speak te reo. About 26 to 30 percent of Māori living in the central region of the North Island can speak the Māori language. In the northern region of the North Island, between 31 and 40 percent of Māori are able to speak te reo. In comparison, only about 16 to 20 percent of Māori on the South Island are able to speak te reo; along the western coast of the South Island, that percentage is even smaller.
Bibliography
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"History of the Māori Language." New Zealand History. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 7 July 2014. Web. 7 July 2015. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language
"Maori." Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics. Ed. Keith Brown, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 7. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2005. 482–483. Print.
"Maori." The Rough Guide to New Zealand. Laura Harper, et al. 7th ed. London: Rough Guides, 2010. 807–808. Print.
"Maori Language." Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia. 6th ed. Auckland: David Bateman, 2005. 420–421. Print.
"Māori Language by Region (Map)." New Zealand History. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 7 July 2014. Web. 7 July 2015. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/maori-language-by-region-map
Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal. "Māori - Pre-European Society." Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 3 Feb. 2015. Web. 7 July 2015. http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/maori/page-2