International News
What’s German For Kia Ora, Mate?
Saturday, 6 September 2008
There's a new book on the market with a distinct Māori flavour but unlikely to be found in many New Zealand bookshops. It's a Māori-German phrasebook, written by two Waikato University academics for German publishing house Reise Know-How Verlag.
(via University of Waikato) Professor Ray Harlow from the Linguistics Department at Waikato and Haupai Puke from the School of Māori and Pacific Development have jointly written the book that's geared to German tourists travelling to New Zealand.
The pocket-sized book covers grammar, pronunciation, arriving and departing, shopping, over-nighting, marae visits, going to the beach and asking directions – most things you’d come across on a visit to New Zealand.
"We didn’t just follow the publisher's template, we've also given information particular to the New Zealand and Māori way of life," says Haupai Puke. And she says the structure of the phrasebook is unique in that word for word translations of the Māori language are given in German as well as the common German equivalent, which helps to convey the structure of the Māori language.
"What I especially like about the book is that it makes Māori language more visible," says Prof Harlow. "It shows the Māori language can be used any place, anywhere, for any kind of activity."
Prof Harlow says the phrasebook will also be useful for the many German students who come to New Zealand to study and take Māori courses purely out of interest. "I don’t imagine the book will make us rich, but it was fun to do and it helps to raise the profile of Māori internationally."
This German/Māori volume is the first colour production in a series covering more than 40 languages. It's already sold more than 300 copies in Germany where it has a price tag of 7.90 Euros or $16.00 New Zealand.
Share this article
Subscribe to this blog 