Today’s Dominion-Post editorial sent shockwaves through the capital.
Writing about the covid virus lapse, it referred to New Zealand, instead of the fashionable fiction of the past 18 months of Aotearoa.
Even more astonishing was another first, namely no reference to whanau.
Who wrote this heresy?
Doubtless an enquiry is under way and the culprit will bite the dust, continuing the staff musical chairs cavalcade of the past year.
11 Comments
Cindy and her Maori caucus will be incandescent with rage.
O dear what a terrible shame !
I doubt Jacinda has many fans who think of her as often and as passionately as you do, John J. Did she dump you at school?
“Shock waves through the capital”?
Rather tempting the earthquake gods?
It wouldn’t be so annoying if they pronounce “whanau” correctly-my understanding is that it is phonetically the same as in ‘where’ not an “F”.
Seems to me we should allow Maori to pronounce their language as they please, being it as it may that pronunciation of the Maori language differs in different parts of Aotearoa, but it differs nowhere near as much as English pronunciation differs does throughout Britain. I enjoyed telling a lovely lady from Whangawehi that she must be pronouncing pupu incorrectly because there is no “B” in the Maori alphabet. We laughed!
And here’s a worthwhile tip; I know from personal experience, that to try and pronounce a foreign language correctly, and fail, is far better than not trying at all. Especially for native speakers of the tongue regardless of language or ethnicity…
And I gotta say very few people pronounce “Where” “correctly” these days which means the old way is defunct. The Maori wh is close enough to f to not matter and when the subtle newance you refer to rogken, is applied, usually by kaumatua, it is barely a whisper to deaf old me.
I take your point goose.
The correct ” original ” pronunciation of “wh” by the English speaking was very akin to
“hwhee” or “whee”.
It’s only a small lazy step to come up with “fwee”
Just a little aside. John Tamihere stated this morning that Jacinderella and her insane bunch have now “re-paid” Fletcher’s for their land at ihumatpotatoe and it will be kept unofficial, ( officially she is denying at present as she is the leader of our most open and honest government) until the election is over.
This means the Treaty is gone and all the billions spent on settlements now amount to nothing. All private land potentially belongs to Maori.
Goodbye New Zealand and good luck everybody.
Gwha (or G-hwhee-a is it? 🙂 ) my points include that after years of imitating my parents by grumbling when people mispronounce and mis-spell English words, I now try to accept the fact that languages are living and changing and the majority way of using language can’t really be criticised or we’lI just remain embedded in the past – which frankly is my wont and it’s damn tempting to remain a grumpy old man in this regard.
As an aside, American spell-checks are changing the way we spell and it drives me nuts but it’s inevitable so I try not to let it color my opinions.
I feel your pain goose
I find it hard to take anyone seriously that can’t spell or accurately enunciate or pronounce the English language.
My greatest personal grievance is “woman” vs “women”.
These simple examples of declining standards are symptomatic of our great social decline.
It makes me feel out of step with the world but I’m buggered if I am going to acquiesce.
the reserve newsroom trots are inbound to your location. Armed with rainbow and trans story hour cultural weaponry.
A good point Mark, I remember a story about ancestors on the ship coming out and having difficulty understanding fellow passengers from over the next Irish hill.