Maori
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Fact corner
- Language: Maori
- Alternate names: NEW ZEALAND MAORI
- SIL-code: Ethnologue:mri
- Language family: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Tahitic
- Number of speakers: 50000
- Script: -
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Introduction
Formerly fragmented into a number of regional dialects, some of which diverged quite radically from what has become the standard dialect. 71% lexical similarity with Hawaiian, 57% with Samoan. All or most use English as second language. 30,000 to 50,000 adult speakers over 15 years old (1995 Maori Language Commission). 33% of fluent speakers are over 60 years old, 38% are between 45 and 59. Until the 20th century spoken throughout New Zealand. The Moriori dialect in the Chatham Islands is extinct. Official language. VSO. 322 government-funded Maori language schools, including for pre-schoolers. Volcanic plateau. Christian. Bible 1858-1952.
The content of this page is machine-generated from a Verbix language extension file (maori.xml). Language extension files add new languages in Verbix for Windows.
The verb
References
- K.T.Harawira. Beginner's Maori. Hippocrene Books, Inc.. edition. New York. 1997.