A study of Māori English with special reference to syllable timing : a comparison of the spoken language of a representetive [sic] sample of Māori and Pākehā recorded in Christchurch.

Abstract

This Thesis examined features of Māori English, and in particular, those which relate to syllable-timing. The focus of the project is on the speech of a representative group of Māori and Pākehā recorded in Christchurch in 1993 and 1994. The project is chiefly interested in the speech of adolescents, but a group of Māori and Pākehā adults were also recorded so that comparisons relating to age and sex could be made. This research shows that grammatical forms which are usually unstressed in Pākehā English were often more likely to be stressed in the speech of Māori informants contributing to syllable timed rhythm. Other features, including non-standard usages such as elisions and omissions, liaison, use of Māori lexis and the voicing of initial consonants all contribute to the variety designated Māori English. This Thesis argues that some of the features of Māori English can be traced back to te reo Māori or can be accounted for by the influence of te reo Māori.