Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 29

Thread: Pronunciation help required!!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Hawkes Bay, NZ
    Posts
    946

    Red face Pronunciation help required!!

    Tauranga, I'm pronouncing tor-ang-a

    Waipukurau, why-pooka-roo-ah

    Waipawa, why-paw-ah

    Otane, o-tane (rhyming with tame)

    How far off am I???

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Hawke's Bay - Cardiff...ish!
    Posts
    2,314

    Default

    Waipukurau, why-pooka-roo-ah

    From when were there I think it is why-puk-a-row

    For the first couple of days I called it "that unpronounceable place" Luckily the locals just call it Whypuk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Pompy UK - Rangiora SI
    Posts
    993

    Default

    wait till the kids have to pronounce whakapapa (sp) My 6 year old still cant believe I wont get cross!!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Hawke's Bay - Cardiff...ish!
    Posts
    2,314

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wilson182
    wait till the kids have to pronounce whakapapa (sp) My 6 year old still cant believe I wont get cross!!!


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cambridge ex- Liverpool
    Posts
    3,562

    Default

    Bit like when teaching about Wankel rotary engines - you should see the smirks on the students faces!!

    Slightly off topic but fun nonetheless

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Hawke's Bay - Cardiff...ish!
    Posts
    2,314

    Default

    Yeh know the feeling - I tave to talk about 3 1/2 in Floppy's

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Hawkes Bay, NZ
    Posts
    946

    Default

    I don't think my toddler needs encouraging


    So, am I right with Tauranga?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Palmerston North
    Posts
    451

    Default

    close, it's more like Taw-ronga, according to hubby.

    An

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    West Auckland
    Posts
    1,029

    Default

    It's easier if you remember that Maori words are made up of syllables and each syllable ends with a vowel. So Otane is 3 syllables: O-ta-ne. Break the others down the same way, Wai-pa-wa, etc.

    And, just to confuse things, names are often pronounced more than one way, there's the correct Maori pronunciation, and then the way that "everyone (meaning Pakeha) has always said it".

    This might help:
    Guide to Maori pronunciation
    The five vowels; a, e, i, o and u, are pronounced in two ways:
    short long
    a as u in but a as a in father
    e as e in pen e as ai in pair
    i as i in bit i as ee in feet
    o as o in fort o as o in store
    u as u in put u as oo in boot

    Where two vowels are together: both are sounded but they are run together smoothly.

    The ten consonants in Maori: h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w, ng, wh.

    The first eight are pronounced as in English. The last two are differend, with 'ng' being pronounced as the ng in 'singer', and 'wh' as wh in 'whale', or as a 'f', depending on the iwi.
    http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~sarah/content/kiwiana.html

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Te Puke
    Posts
    29

    Default

    Great, the vowels are exactly like the pronounciation for german!

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •