Maori English

Abstract

The Maori language is the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand. Today, not all Maori speak the Maori language, and many Maori as well as non‐Maori speak Maori English, the fastest growing of the main varieties of New Zealand English. This paper provides a background to the linguistic situation of the Maori populace in New Zealand, including the current revitalization of the Maori language and the increasing use of Maori English. Speech‐language therapists working with Maori clients now see children who are monolingual speakers of standard New Zealand English or monolingual speakers of Maori English, young children who are being raised as bilingual speakers of Maori and English, and older people who are relatively fluent in Maori.

• Maori English
• indigenous languages
• Maori language
• language revitalization
• solidarity marker

Notes

1. Vowel length is shown in written Maori by means of macrons: Maori. The convention within New Zealand is not to use macrons on words of Maori origin within English texts. We have followed this convention in the present paper, and only use macrons in quotations or where we are citing words in a Maori context.

2. Information about kohanga reo may be obtained from their website: http://www.kohanga.ac.nz, and through the Ministry of Education's website: http://www.minedu.govt.nz. Limited statistical information about kura kaupapa and whare kura is available through the Ministry of Education's website.

3. Many other Polynesians in New Zealand (such as Samoans and Tongans, often referred to as Pasifika) also speak a variety of NZE which, superficially at least, seems to be Maori English. However, folk‐linguistic information from these groups suggests that these may be separate varieties.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.