The letters of the Maori Alphabet are only fourteen in number. They are—a, e, h, i, k, m, n, ng, o, p, r, t, u, w. The vowels have an Italian sound.
The Maori a is pronounced like aw and ah. " e " " a and eh. " i " " ee. " o " " o and oo (short). " u " " oo (long).
When two vowels come together in a syllable, both are pronounced in a single breath. Thus:—
The Maori au becomes ow, as in _cow_. " ao the same. " ae becomes i, as in _sigh_. " ai the same. " ei becomes ee, as in _keep_.
Ng always has a nasal sound, as in _ringing_. G is never hard.
In common use among colonists, many names are becoming corrupted, principally by the shortening of vowel sounds. Thus, Wakatipu, the proper pronunciation of which should be Waw-kah-tee´-poo, has become Wacky-tip. The elision of a final vowel in certain instances, is common among the Maori themselves.
The following examples, selected from names occurring in this book, may be of use. Chief stress is to be laid upon the syllable indicated by an accent mark.
Arapaoa Ah-rah-pow´-ah Ararimu Ah-rah-ree´-moo Aratapu Ah-rah-tah´-poo Ariki Ah-ree´-kee Atua Ah´-too-ah Hauraki How´-rah-kee Hinau Hee´-now Hokianga Ho-kee-ang´-ah Hone Heke Ho´-nay Hek´-ky Hongi Hika Hong´-ee Hee´-kah Hoteo Ho-tay´-o Hue Hoo´-eh Kahikatea Ki-kah-tay´-ah Kai Ki Kainga Ki´-ng-ah Kaipara Ki´-pah-rah Kamahi Kah-mi´ Kapai Kah´-pi Kapuka Kah´-poo-kah Kararehe Kah-rah´-ray Kareao Kah-ray-ow´ Kauri Kow´-ree Kawa Kaw´-ah Kawau Kah-wow´ Kawiti Kaw´-ee-tee Keri-keri Kirry-kirry Kiwi Kee´-wee Kihi-kihi Kēē-kēē Kiore Kee-or´-eh Kopura Ko´-poo-rah Koraka Ko-rah´-kah Korero Kor´-ră-ro Kororareka Kor-or-ar´-ek-ah Kotuku Ko-too´-koo Kowhai Ko´-i Kumera Koo´-meh-rah Mahurangi Mow´-ă-rang´-ee Maire Mi´-ray Manukau Man´-oo-kow Mangapai Mong´-ah-pi Mangawai Mong-ah-wi´ Mangiao Mong-ee-ow´ Maori Mow´-ree Matakohe Mah-tah-ko´-eh Marahemo Mah-rah-hay´-mo Maungakahia Mong-ah-ki´-ah Mihake Mee´-hak-ă Mongonui Mong-o-noo´-ee Ngapuhi Ng-ah´-poo-ee Ngatewhatua Ng-ah´-tay-whot´-oo-ah Ohaeawae O-hi´-ah-wi Okaehau O-ki´-how Onehunga O-nay-hung´-ah Otamatea O-tah-mah-tay´-ah Oruawharo Or-oo-ah-whah´-ro Pahi Pah´-hee Paparoa Pah-pah-ro´-ah Pakeha Pah´-kay-hah Pohutukawa Paw´-tah-kow-ah Ponamu Po-nam´-oo Puna Poo´-nah Puriri Poo-ry´-ry Rakope Raw´-kop-ă Rangatira Rang-ah-tee´-rah Rangitopuni Rang-ee-to-poo´-nee Raupo Row´-poo Reinga Ray-eeng´-ah Rimu Ree´-moo Taheke Tah´-hak-ky Tamatewhiti Tom'-ah-tay-whee'-tee Taupo Tow'-poo Tawhera Taff'-rah Taua Tow'-ah Tapu Tah'-poo Te Tay Ti Tee Wahine Wah-hee'-nay Waimate Wi'-matty Waitangi Wi'-tang-ee Waitemata Wi'-tay-mah'-tah Whangarei Whong-ah-ree' Whare Whah'-ray Whau Whow Wairoa Wi'-raw Wairau Wi'-row