Transliteration

There is a certain readiness among young Maori speakers to abandon genuine words in their native tongue for some barbarous transliteration of their English equivalents. The study of words adopted spontaneously by the Maori is very interesting, such words often assuming forms which differ widely from such rigid transliterations as would be made by a European. It is by no means always an easy matter to recognise such a word and trace it to its origin. Examples are matere, lookout at sea (from masthead); kaihe, ass (from jackass).

Examples of more obvious transliterations are:

• motorcar = motukaa

• flour = parroa

• table = tepu

• pen = pene

• money = moni