Diluting languages
Marian Stolte raised some interesting points that deserve a response (Weekend Herald, March 23).
She cites the words “kindergarten” and “omelette” as two examples of foreign words being absorbed into the English language. English has been built up over many many hundreds of years, originally from the Germanic languages of the Angles and Saxons, then added to by a plethora of languages, including Latin (the most prominent), French and German.
Hence words like kindergarten and omelette, words the English language had no equivalent for at the time, came into everyday usage. They are now understood throughout the English-speaking world.
English is the most-understood language in the world, and also the most-spoken language. When te reo Māori, in an effort to promote and preserve the language, was declared to be New Zealand’s official language in 1987, the intent by the architects of the bill was to encourage the use and growth of the Māori language, as opposed to having, as has happened, Māori words simply being scattered throughout everyday spoken English.
By doing so, both languages are being diluted. Sadly, rather than adding to the English languages, as words like kindergarten did, Māori words are being used to replace English words in common usage: the language is not being enriched. Rather, it is being altered to the extent that New Zealand is now starting to develop its own version of English.
Stolte mentioned going on to the internet, or to libraries, to find the meanings of some of the te reo words being used. However, many resent that they need to do so to once again understand the language they have been speaking all their life.
Stolte, however, justified this on the basis that learning more about other languages can be enriching; many may find that to be the case, while many others will simply find it to be an imposition forced upon them.
It is good so many people here are now learning te reo Māori. However, they should be learning it because they wish to — not because a need to learn it has been artificially created. Philip Lenton, Somerville.