toru hurō for Te Reo in our lexicon.

But zero cheers for there being no macrons in my chosen font!

Last night, while wondering what I might do with myself since I’d gotten into bed so early, I stumbled across the “How well do you know your Reo Māori” quiz online, and I took the quiz.

100 questions of general vocabulary comprehension. I scored 75 out of 100. Not bad for someone who’s never formally learned Te Reo, but not good enough in my opinion.

I may be hard on myself about the acquisition of languages, namely those which New Zealand has as its official languages (there are three: Māori, NZ Sign Language, and - of course - English), and I may be forgiven. But as someone who is proudly interested in language, its uses and of words’ origins, and not least because I have a degree in Linguistics, I feel as though I ought to be a bit more schooled than I am. I’d like to be, anyway. 

Not to mention that my children are part Māori, and despite my colonised New Zealand upbringing I do wholeheartedly respect and admire Māori origins, culture and language. It’s a language that I think is beautiful when written and spoken. Not all languages are lucky enough to be beautiful. English certainly has its moments. Italian? I melt. 

The way various organisations in New Zealand are embracing a more bilingual approach to their communications is long overdue, and I want to be part of this movement. I work with several clients who incorporate Te Reo in their brand and communications and - in line with how pedantic I like to be about the use of English - I intend to be the same when it comes to the use of Māori.

Macrons matter. 

Seeking advice on the use of particular words, no matter how sure you think you are, is of huge importance in a language such as Māori. Its lexicon is far less busy than English. One word can mean many things. 

Meaning matters. 

I am not claiming to be very knowledgeable in all of this, but I am keen to learn. I look forward to having the time to fully embrace and learn Te Reo in the coming months, and to getting my head around all the little ‘isms’ that really matter.

Words matter. 

Communication matters.