The Māori language, or “te reo Māori”, is the language of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. It is one of the official languages of New Zealand, along with English and New Zealand Sign Language, and over several centuries it has borrowed many English words. These words are often adapted to better fit the sounds of the Māori language.
B1. Below are 20 Māori words that have been adapted from English words. Note that Māori uses a line over vowels to mark them as long. Can you match each word below to the picture that illustrates it?
B2. Many English loanwords in Māori deal with introduced Western professions and titles. To what English words do the following Māori words correspond?
B3. What countries are these?
B4. For each of these English words, predict what the Māori form would be:
When you are finished with this problem, click on the button below to check your answers.
Checking...
Solution (PDF)