326 



[PART in. 



GRAMMAR 



OF THE 



NEW ZEALAND LANGUAGE. 



PART III. 



CHAPTER I. 



ON PRONUNCIATION. 



IT may be said that there exists but one language in the 

 whole of New Zealand, with slight differences in pronun- 

 ciation, and with the occasional use of different words by 

 particular tribes for one and the same object. This arises 

 partly t from the singular custom of discontinuing (making 

 tapu) the use of one word, and adopting another instead, 

 which is, however, less the case in the New Zealand than 

 in other Polynesian languages. The variations, however, 

 are not sufficiently great to constitute different dialects. 



The written alphabet of the New Zealand language com- 

 prehends only fourteen letters. The vowels retain their 

 pure sounds/ as in most languages, and the alphabet is as 

 follows : 



a is pronounced as a 



in after, 

 e in bend, 

 i in fish. 

 6 in fort, 

 oo in foot, 

 g, with a strong nasal sound. 



retaining their simple sounds. 



