Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 18.djvu/87

Rh Zealand we have the relative height of elevations well defined in maunga, mountain; puke, hill. Suppose we convert Mount Cook into Maungakuku, this would be much more euphonious than Mount Cook, and serve as well the purpose of commemorating the name of the great discoverer.

Mount, as a rule, is applied to a hillock; when exceptionally used to denote the highest mountains in the world the effect is feeble.

To return to a few more illustrations. The German name for ice is the same as our own, but they spell the word eis. Any one can see that the German spelling is phonetic, but what shall we say to the English ice. The i is made into the diphthong ei, the c into s, and the e is mute and useless. In the same category we have nice, twice, rice, spice, mice, &c. The mute e, at the end of words, ought to be abolished.

What must a foreigner think when he hears an educated Englishman talk of Demostheniez, and Pericliez. This pronunciation has a thoroughly illiterate effect, something similar to the crier in Court calling out, "Oyiez, Oyiez" or of a lawyer talking about laechiez, or of Naisai Praius. The pronunciation is not even according to English custom, for we do not say Ayniez, businiez, Totniez, prickliez, wrinkliez. When an Englishman is asked why he does not pronounce names correctly, he says that it would look like affectation to do so, whereas the affectation is all the other way.

A few illustrations will show in what a curious way the letter o is treated in English. We find its different and varying sounds in tome, torn, one, come, cooper, coffee. There may possibly be more variations. I have picked out the above at random.

Now all these various defects in English orthography have a strong bearing upon the future of the Maori language. That language has been brought into a phonetic orthography, and many of the European settlers understand this: but every day fresh arrivals come from England who know nothing of the subject, and who proceed to damage the Maori tongue. The culprits are to be found in the Post Office Department; as compositors in newspaper offices; as officials in the Land Office, and in the public generally. Thus we find the native names mis-spelt and made ridiculous. I have already mentioned the cases of Petone, for Pito-one, Tenui for Tinui. I may add Kaiwarra for Kaiwharawhara, Mangahao for Mangāhoa. When I traversed the Forty-mile Bush, some twenty-four years ago, I put this name down as Mangāwha, which is practically the same as Mangāhoa. Mangahao does not give the sound at all.

Pauatahanui is converted into Pahautanui. Ohiro is not mis-spelt, but is pronounced Ohairo, and so on. One could find many similar examples. But what can be expected when