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Apr 123 min read

TE REO MĀORI: THE SPOKEN WORD.



Connor Donaldson -

 

‘Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!’

The opening refrain of the All Blacks haka is known from New Zealand to France, and if you weren’t familiar you are now. They were originally composed by a Māori chief, Te Rauparaha, to celebrate the victory of life over death after a chance escape from the hands of his enemies.

Today these lyrics carry a new significance as the most widely known words of the Māori language, te reo Māori. 

Te reo Māori is the indigenous language of New Zealand, officially recognised and today spoken by 400 000 speakers. The Polynesian language has existed for most its history existed solely as a spoken language, with written Māori dating back only as far as the 19th-century when it was set down in Latin by English colonists. 

This predominance of the spoken word produced a host of distinct oral traditions, among them the practice of whakapapa (recited genealogy), whaikōrero (formal oration), karakia (prayer) and the retelling of complex mythology. From this, the language also developed a deep capacity for metaphorical expression felt in both its poetry and prose. Te reo Māori stands as testament to the intrinsic beauty and value of oral language and history.

The language suffered greatly, however, during New Zealand’s colonisation. The urbanisation of Māori peoples saw them forced to conform to English institutions which did not value the indigenous language. Te reo Māori was suppressed in the Weste rn schools used to integrate Māori youth, disrupting their acquisition and distancing them from their heritage. The violence of this abrupt change was made explicit by the frequent use of corporal punishment against students who spoke Māori in schools. A practice officially sanctioned to encourage assimilation.

By the 1980s only 20% of the Māori population spoke te reo. However, through decades of political struggle for a Māori language revival the language’s decline gave way to a Māori renaissance. Although systemic issues continue, the language is now officially recognised, taught in some form in most schools and far more widely spoken among both Māori and non-Māori.

Te reo Māori is not difficult to learn, with many simple words and phrases that you can add to your vocabulary. Kia ora (KYO-ra) meaning hello is a common and friendly greeting. Aotearoa (ow-TE-a-ro-a) literally the land of the long white cloud, is the Māori endonym for New Zealand and could become its official name in the future. Tapu (TA-pu) meaning sacred or forbidden is a word you are already familiar with due to its frequent appearance in English as the loanword ‘taboo’.

'Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!’ (It is death, it is death! It is life, it is life!) The tale of te reo Māori traverses both existential danger and rebirth. Handed down from generation to generation, the words of this unique language carry not only centuries of history, but also a vital link from Aotearoa (New Zealand) to the outside world.


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