Reviewer, editor, pagecreator
31,994
edits
m
→Language Aids and Dictionaries: beginning to add info/added headings
(→Language Aids and Dictionaries: beginning to add info) |
m (→Language Aids and Dictionaries: beginning to add info/added headings) |
||
| Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
English | =====English===== | ||
English is spoken by the majority of the population.[1] It has long been the predominant language and the de facto official language.[3] It is the primary language used in parliament, government, the courts, and the education system.[4] Its official status has been presumed and is not codified in statute.[5] In 2018, New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell introduced a bill to parliament to statutorily recognise English as an official language.[6][7] | English is spoken by the majority of the population.[1] It has long been the predominant language and the de facto official language.[3] It is the primary language used in parliament, government, the courts, and the education system.[4] Its official status has been presumed and is not codified in statute.[5] In 2018, New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell introduced a bill to parliament to statutorily recognise English as an official language.[6][7] | ||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
New Zealand English is mostly non-rhotic with the exception of the "southern burr" found principally in Southland and parts of Otago.[8] It is similar to Australian English and many speakers from the Northern Hemisphere are unable to tell the two accents apart.[9] In New Zealand English the short i (as in kit) has become centralised, leading to the shibboleth fish and chips sounding like "fush and chups" to the Australian ear.[10] The words rarely and really, reel and real, doll and dole, pull and pool, witch and which, and full and fill can sometimes be pronounced as homophones.[11][12][8] Some New Zealanders pronounce the past participles grown, thrown and mown using two syllables, whereas groan, throne and moan are pronounced as one syllable.[13] New Zealanders often reply to a question or emphasise a point by adding a rising intonation at the end of the sentence.[14] New Zealand English has also borrowed words and phrases from Māori, such as haka (war dance), kia ora (a greeting), mana (power or prestige), puku (stomach), taonga (treasure) and waka (canoe).[15][16] | New Zealand English is mostly non-rhotic with the exception of the "southern burr" found principally in Southland and parts of Otago.[8] It is similar to Australian English and many speakers from the Northern Hemisphere are unable to tell the two accents apart.[9] In New Zealand English the short i (as in kit) has become centralised, leading to the shibboleth fish and chips sounding like "fush and chups" to the Australian ear.[10] The words rarely and really, reel and real, doll and dole, pull and pool, witch and which, and full and fill can sometimes be pronounced as homophones.[11][12][8] Some New Zealanders pronounce the past participles grown, thrown and mown using two syllables, whereas groan, throne and moan are pronounced as one syllable.[13] New Zealanders often reply to a question or emphasise a point by adding a rising intonation at the end of the sentence.[14] New Zealand English has also borrowed words and phrases from Māori, such as haka (war dance), kia ora (a greeting), mana (power or prestige), puku (stomach), taonga (treasure) and waka (canoe).[15][16] | ||
Māori | =====Māori===== | ||
The Māori language of the indigenous Māori people has been an official language by statute since 1987, with rights and obligations to use it defined by the Maori Language Act 1987.[17] It can, for example, be used in legal settings, such as in court, but proceedings are recorded in English only, unless private arrangements are made and agreed by the judge. | The Māori language of the indigenous Māori people has been an official language by statute since 1987, with rights and obligations to use it defined by the Maori Language Act 1987.[17] It can, for example, be used in legal settings, such as in court, but proceedings are recorded in English only, unless private arrangements are made and agreed by the judge. | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
New Zealand Sign Language: | =====New Zealand Sign Language:===== | ||
New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL (Māori: Te Reo Turi) is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights and obligations in the use of NZSL throughout the legal system and to ensure that the deaf community had the same access to government information and services as everybody else.[3] According to the 2013 Census, over 20,000 New Zealanders speak NZSL.[4] | New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL (Māori: Te Reo Turi) is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights and obligations in the use of NZSL throughout the legal system and to ensure that the deaf community had the same access to government information and services as everybody else.[3] According to the 2013 Census, over 20,000 New Zealanders speak NZSL.[4] | ||