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Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 48:1 (2024) ► pp.48–74

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Māori loanwords in New Zealand English

What can a picture-naming task reveal for language planning?

ORCiD logo with link | University of Waikato
 | KU Leuven
 | Vrije Universiteit Brussel
 | Massey University
Published online: 28 June 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.23043.cal
Abstract
The Indigenous language of ANZ, Māori is undergoing significant revitalisation, following severe loss of vitality caused by English colonialism. One dimension to this revitalisation is the normalising of borrowings from Māori into New Zealand English (NZE). However, there are currently no empirical studies of adults’ naming patterns for concepts that can be lexicalised by Māori words in NZE. We report on a picture-naming experiment in which 48 participants are asked to name a set of target and control pictures depicting everyday concepts from three semantic categories which involve Māori borrowings: flora/fauna, people/places, material culture. Following a background questionnaire, we group participants into three categories, depending on their orientation towards Māori language and culture. Results suggest a clear association between participant orientation and their use of Māori loanwords. Alternative interpretations are discussed, including questions for future research on the relationship between NZE lexical variation and language planning.
Tuhinga whakarāpopoto
Ko te reo taketake o Aotearoa, arā te reo Māori, kei te kaha whakarauoratia whai muri i ngā tāmi toimaha a tauiwi i whakaheke ai i te mauri o te reo. Ko tētehi ahunga o ngā mahi whakarauora nei he whakawhiti kupu mino i te reo Māori hei kupu kōrero mō roto i te reo Ingarihi o Aotearoa (NZE). Heoi, kārekau he rangahau arohaehae i te pakeke e tapa ana i ngā huatau e taea ai te whakawhiti kupu Māori hei kupu Ingarihi. Tā tēnei, he hora pūrongo mō tētehi whakamātautau i tonoa ai te 48 tāngata kia kōwhiri pikitia e whakaari nei i ngā huanga o ia rā, o ia rā. He mea kōwhiri ēnei pikitia i ētehi rōpū wete-reo e toru e whakaari nei i ngā whakawhitinga kupu mino Māori mō: ngāi tipu/ngāi kīrehe, tāngata/me ngā wāhi, ngā rawa ahurea. Whai muri i tētehi uiuinga whakapapa, ka whakarōpūhia ngā tāngata ki ētehi rōpū e toru i runga anō i ō rātou aronga ki te reo me te ahurea Māori. Ko ngā putanga rangahau i tūtohu mai i tētehi tino hononga i waenganui i tō te tangata aronga me tā rātou tapa i ētehi kupu mino Māori. Ka matapakina ngā whakamāoritanga rā, waihoki ko ngā pātai i ētehi rangahau anamata mō te whanaungatanga i waenganui i ngā kohinga kupu Ingarihi me ngā rautaki reo.
Resumo
La Indiĝena lingvo de Aotearoa-Novzelando, la maoria (Māori), spertas signifan revivigon, post severa perdo de vivokapablo fare de anglalingva koloniismo. Unu dimensio de tiu revivigo estas normigo de pruntoj el la maoria en novzelandan anglan (NZE). Tamen, nuntempe mankas empiriaj studoj de la nomadaj skemoj de plenaĝuloj koncerne konceptojn kiujn oni povas leksikigi en NZE pere de maoriaj vortoj. Ni raportas pri bildonomada eksperimento en kiu 48 partoprenantoj estas petataj nomi kompleton de celaj kaj kontrolaj bildoj de ĉiutagaj konceptoj el tri semantikaj kategorioj ligitaj al pruntoj el la maoria: floroj/bestoj, homoj/lokoj, materia kulturo. Sekve de fona demandaro, ni grupigas partoprenantojn en tri kategoriojn, depende de ilia orientiĝo al maoriaj lingvo kaj kulturo. La rezultoj sugestas klaran asociiĝon inter la orientiĝo de partoprenantoj kaj ilia nomado de maoriaj pruntvortoj. Ni pridiskutas alternativajn interpretojn, inkluzive demandojn por estonta esplorado pri la rilato inter leksika vario en NZE kaj pri lingvoplanado.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Māori (loan)words in New Zealand English: Ideology and practice
  • 3.Methods
    • 3.1Participant profiles
    • 3.2Picture selection and coding
      • Selection criteria
      • Target pictures
      • Control pictures
      • Data processing and coding
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Adressing RQ1
    • 4.2Addressing RQ2
  • 5.Discussion & conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
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