Crawford. — On The Maori Language. 47 



word in the language is seen, its pronunciation is at onue 

 apparent. 



If we compare this system with that which was formerly in 

 vogue when English orthography was applied to the names of 

 persons and places in India, native names in Australia, and also 

 in America, we may perceive at a glance the advantages gained 

 by the practice adopted with reference to the Maori language. 



In reading most books upon India, it is almost impossible for 

 a person uninitiated in the native tongues to tell the sounds of 

 the native names and designations. Thus we find the two chief 

 tribes of Afghanistan described as the Barukzye and the Sud- 

 dozye. When spelt Barukzai and Suddozai the pronunciation is 

 obvious, but as they stand in the previous orthography there is 

 an uncertainty about the sound, inasmuch as the letter y is 

 pronounced in English in several different ways. The name of 

 the kingdom of Oude is almost invariably pronounced wrongly 

 by outsiders, as the spelling and the pronunciation are so incon- 

 sistent. One of the most irritating words, to my mind, in this 

 orthography is sepoy, which is a barbarous corruption of sipahi, 

 a foot soldier. In the English form the word has a ludicrous 

 appearance.* 



The other day, in an Indian work of merit, I came across the 

 words gui hye ; now who can tell, except he is told by an expert, 

 what to make of this? Pronounce the words to a Maori, and he 

 would at once write down kuai hai, about the sound of which 

 there would be no mistake. Brandee pawnee lotv, a sentence 

 which formerly was much heard in India, looks barbarous 

 enough ; a Maori would put it down as Parani paoni hut, which 

 looks civilized. 



The orthography of native names in Australia has similar 

 defects to those above described in India, chiefly caused by 

 making the letter i stand for the diphthong ai. Thus we find 

 Koraio spelt Corio; Bulai, Bulli; Molongulai, MolgnguM; Merai, 

 Merri. This blunder is not constant, however, for we find Gun- 

 dagai spelt correctly. 



In Fiji, and at the Cape of Good Hope, we find fanciful 

 spelling. In the former we find c represents th, and o stands for 

 om. Thus Thahombwu is spelt Cacobau. In South Africa we 

 find Ketchivayo spelt Cetewayo ; Etchowe, Ekowe. This style is 

 provoking, as apparently meant to puzzle people, without 

 sense or reason. The result is that these names are generally 

 pronounced wrongly. 



One peculiarity the English have is in vulgarizing names. 

 The King Kaofi Kalkali, of Ashanti, is reduced to Coffee Calcalee, 

 although his name has doubtless nothing to do with coffee ; the 



*A corrected official orthography for India has been issued, but many 

 do not use it. 



