Post by Kiwi Frontline on Dec 4, 2017 5:12:28 GMT 12
MAORI LANGUAGE FACTS LAID BARE
The value of the Maori language lies in the fact that having never been written, until transliterated by British scholars in the 19th century, much of the cultural customs and history are oral, and embedded within the language. Losing it would be a shame really, but ramming down the necks of people with no interest in learning it is likely to achieve nothing but its early extinction.
It is, inherently because of its spoken-only nature, a primitive tongue lacking in refinement and precision, neither of which were necessary because it operated almost entirely in 'real time'. In the world of literacy developed in the Northern parts of the world, written language necessarily became more and more precise over the centuries. Maori contains no plurals, is lacking a few consonants ('s', 'b', and 'd' spring readily to mind), IT'S VOCABULARY IS SMALL AND LIMITED IN SCOPE, AND QUITE INADEQUATE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY TO WHICH ENGLISH IS ADMIRABLY SUITED, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY ENGLISH HAS BECOME A VIRTUAL 'LINGUA FRANCA'. The latter term itself illustrates the point, being a historic reference to Breton, the language of the Francs of Roman times and spoken over a large area of Europe. The term now is generalised to mean any common language widely spoken.
So Te Reo Maori has been available, and encouraged since the 1970s at least, to counteract THE REQUESTS OF MAORI ELDERS OF THE PAST WHO TOLD OUR SCHOOLS TO DISCOURAGE ITS USE BECAUSE THE YOUNG MAORI FOLK NEEDED TO LEARN ENGLISH TO GET ALONG IN THE EMERGING EUROPEAN CULTURE. That "getting along" was desirable because without it Maori faced extinction from their own kind, and they well knew it. NOTHING PREVENTS MAORI, OR ANYONE ELSE, FROM LEARNING IT IF THEY WISH, and I would encourage those with the inclination to do so. In learning the language, much will be learned if the culture; an instance that springs to mind is the lack of a word for 'guilty'. Food for thought right there, don't you think?
So yes, preserve the true language, along with the TRUE history while acknowledging the truly savage society that gave it birth. All this sanitising of history is offensive those who ancestors suffered under it.
Given the plethora of media outlets that are virtually all in Te Reo Maori, I see no reason why the charter of RNZ should include it.
By K E T
The value of the Maori language lies in the fact that having never been written, until transliterated by British scholars in the 19th century, much of the cultural customs and history are oral, and embedded within the language. Losing it would be a shame really, but ramming down the necks of people with no interest in learning it is likely to achieve nothing but its early extinction.
It is, inherently because of its spoken-only nature, a primitive tongue lacking in refinement and precision, neither of which were necessary because it operated almost entirely in 'real time'. In the world of literacy developed in the Northern parts of the world, written language necessarily became more and more precise over the centuries. Maori contains no plurals, is lacking a few consonants ('s', 'b', and 'd' spring readily to mind), IT'S VOCABULARY IS SMALL AND LIMITED IN SCOPE, AND QUITE INADEQUATE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY TO WHICH ENGLISH IS ADMIRABLY SUITED, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY ENGLISH HAS BECOME A VIRTUAL 'LINGUA FRANCA'. The latter term itself illustrates the point, being a historic reference to Breton, the language of the Francs of Roman times and spoken over a large area of Europe. The term now is generalised to mean any common language widely spoken.
So Te Reo Maori has been available, and encouraged since the 1970s at least, to counteract THE REQUESTS OF MAORI ELDERS OF THE PAST WHO TOLD OUR SCHOOLS TO DISCOURAGE ITS USE BECAUSE THE YOUNG MAORI FOLK NEEDED TO LEARN ENGLISH TO GET ALONG IN THE EMERGING EUROPEAN CULTURE. That "getting along" was desirable because without it Maori faced extinction from their own kind, and they well knew it. NOTHING PREVENTS MAORI, OR ANYONE ELSE, FROM LEARNING IT IF THEY WISH, and I would encourage those with the inclination to do so. In learning the language, much will be learned if the culture; an instance that springs to mind is the lack of a word for 'guilty'. Food for thought right there, don't you think?
So yes, preserve the true language, along with the TRUE history while acknowledging the truly savage society that gave it birth. All this sanitising of history is offensive those who ancestors suffered under it.
Given the plethora of media outlets that are virtually all in Te Reo Maori, I see no reason why the charter of RNZ should include it.
By K E T