Language is the basis of that vital section of the arts which includes singing and oratory, and should be considered prior to a study of these two and of the associated art of dancing. Maori is the southernmost branch of the Austronesia or Malayo-Polynesian family of languages. It is closely related to the tongues of Eastern Polynesia, and less with Western Polynesia, although the structure is the same. Maori is soft and liquid to the ear because of the number of vowels, and the fact that each syllable (and thus, of course, each word) ends in a vowel.
There are five vowels and ten consonants, including the nasal consonant “ng” and the “wh” plosive, the latter of which, despite the efforts of purists, modern Maoris persist in pronouncing as the “f” in English.
In Maori, nouns have no gender or case endings; they usually precede the adjective, and form the plural by changing the article. Verbs are used in the active or passive voice, the passive being favoured, and it is possible to form sentences without verbs in translating the verb “to be”, which has no exact Maori equivalent. Pronouns, especially the dual, which is not found in English, sometimes puzzle Europeans, who also find the various ways of forming the negative difficult.
Contemporary Maori has two main dialects which may be called eastern and western. Centrally-situated tribes share dialectal features from both areas. Some remarkable work on the structure of Maori has been carried out in recent years in the anthropology department of the University of Auckland under the direction of Dr Bruce Biggs.
The use of language is best exemplified in the art of oratory, an important section of Maori social life. The orator has an honoured place which he gains only with years of practice and a detailed knowledge of traditional forms of etiquette, of modes of address, and of classic songs and chants. Whether engaged in a political discussion, rallying his audience to a cause, or paying tribute to the dead, he is as vital a figure in Maori life today as he was in the past.
