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Nov 17, 2024
This week’s themeWords borrowed from Māori This week’s words aroha tapu korero noa mana How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Words that appear to be misspelled 
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AWADmail Issue 1168A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and LanguageSponsor’s Message: OLD’S COOL. LACRAWESOME. MR. WRITE. -- Try our wit on for size. “Thick material. Sensuous to the touch. These are the best shirts ever!” The perfect gift. Shop Now. From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: Interesting stories from the Net France’s New Dictionary Struggles to Keep up With the Times BBC Permalink Is Bilingualism Good for Your Brain? Montreal Researchers Are Seeing Tangible Results CBC Permalink How to Be a Writer in the Second Age of Trump The New York Times Permalink From: Tracy Blues (blues.tracy gmail.com) Subject: Māori words My son is autistic and my favourite Māori word is Takiwātanga. The Māori term for autism means “in his or her own time/space” and conveys a non-judgmental acceptance of autism as a difference (Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui, 2019). It is such an affirming word that recognises neurodivergence as a different way of being in the world. The acceptance and lack of judgment of autistic people is heartwarming in a world that so often rejects and demeans anyone who does not conform to some nebulous neurotypical norm. My son is definitely developing in his own time and space, in his own unique way. The world would be richer if the Māori sentiment were prevalent and all the different neurotypes were accepted and celebrated. Diversity is not something to fear. Embracing diversity does not diminish anyone, rather it enhances and broadens the human experience. What better way to express aroha than to be compassionate and inclusive. Tracy Blues, Cape Town, South Africa From: Susan Saunders (susansaunders2008 btinternet.com) Subject: Words from New Zealand I’m delighted that you’re featuring New Zealand this week. My youngest son lives with his family in Hamilton, and couldn’t be farther away from us here in London. In fact, New Zealand is not even very near Australia, and often drops off world maps illustrating news items. I’ve sometimes encountered difficulties in NZ with their pronunciation of vowels. Once while visiting I needed to buy some pins to complete a bit of mending I was doing for his children. There, the short i is pronounced like a short u -- when I asked for pins in a shop, they assumed I wanted pens. I had to ask for puns. My son Tim is known to his friends and neighbours as Tum. Susan Saunders, Teddington, UK From: Michael Poxon (mikethestarman gmail.com) Subject: aroha My linguistics lecturer Dr. Veronica Du Feu was the world authority on the Rapanui (Easter Island) language, and to this day I usually greet people on their birthday with the greeting in Rapanui: te aroha mo te ra’a poreko! As one of my hobbies is calligraphy, she asked me to hand-scribe her translation of the Cinderella story. In Rapanui, “Cinderella” was “Eoeo”. The term aroha is scattered with slight variations across Polynesia, such as talofa in Samoa. Michael Poxon, Norwich, UK From: Maureen Doyle (momcdo gmail.com) Subject: aroha Years ago, my daughter’s college boyfriend was from American Samoa. She went home with him for the summer, and when they returned, they named their kitten Alofa (Samoan for “love”). Maureen Doyle, Boston, Massachusetts
Email of the Week -- Brought to you buy OLD’S COOL -- Fits Christmas to a tee.
From: Curt Andersen (cda854 new.rr.com) Subject: Tapu My friends, Dave and Tobi, joined the Peace Corps in 1968. They were sent, newly married, to the Yap Island group, specifically to Falalop, Ulithi. Being young and frisky, they were frolicking in the ocean one day, when several ladies ran out and hollered, “Tapu! Tapu!” The reason it was tapu was that sharks are drawn to frolicking. Curt Andersen, Green Bay, Wisconsin From: Barron Hall (barronhall hotmail.com) Subject: Nah. Hard pass.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Patience is also a form of action. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (12 Nov 1840-1917) Patience is fine for sculptors. That stone is millennia old. Actual legal freedom for many Americans has only been on the books since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and is about to be ground up for the koi ponds of the rich. So please understand, again, Why We Can’t Wait. Barron Hall, Fairfax, Virginia From: Naomi O’Connor (naomi.wordsmith gmail.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--korero Absolutely fantastic to see te reo Māori (the Māori language) featured on AWAD. However, there’s a spelling mistake. The letter “s” is not properly used to indicate plural for borrowings from Māori. For example: “There is a kiwi in the undergrowth, oh, look, in fact, there are two kiwi there.” Also, the length of vowels in this language is a critical point for sound and meaning. This is a beautiful, accessible, and sound resource: Māori Dictionary Thank you, ngā mihi Naomi O’Connor, Pōneke | Wellington, New Zealand
Thank you for taking the time to share your insights and expertise on te
reo Māori. You’re right that macrons are crucial in te reo Māori to
indicate vowel length and convey accurate meaning.
Travel brings change and words are no exception. When a word travels across languages, it often undergoes changes, in spelling, meaning, or pronunciation. Sometimes all three. For instance, the word “cinema” adapts its spelling in English, dropping the accent mark (“cinéma”) in French where it’s borrowed from. While “kiwi” is the correct singular and plural form in te reo Māori, “kiwis” has become common in English, even within New Zealand. (The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary lists both forms). For example:
As you’ve shown by your note, sometimes one small step -- a letter, a correction -- can be one giant leap (if not a flight) for fostering understanding and respect for a language and culture. For example, Kiwibank changed its slogan from “Kiwis making Kiwis better off” to “Kiwi making Kiwi better off” in 2020. Ngā mihi nui, -Anu Garg From: Robert Payne (dziga68 sbcglobal.net) Subject: noa The South Pacific-based French painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) wrote a book titled Noa Noa, which is sometimes subtitled Voyage to Tahiti or The Tahitian Journal. A woodprint of his titled “Noa Noa” has sometimes been translated as “Fragrant Scent”. Robert Payne, Los Angeles, California From: Rich Young (hcmac pacbell.net) Subject: Adding to your Māori theme this week Here’s some added information about New Zealand Māori in news: New Zealanders are marching, performing haka to protest divisive bill The Washington Post Permalink Richard J. Young, San Mateo, California  
Subject: haka and tapu Trump plans to impose stiff tariffs on goods imported from other countries. New Zealand would be no exception. Admittedly, my fanciful scenario borders on the absurd, since I can’t see New Zealand exporting kiwis en masse to the US. But you’d have to admit that that notion paints a chuckle-worthy picture. The three Māoris have broken into a haka, venting their anger at Trump’s threatening proclamation. 
Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams
Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks Aroha In New Zealand, aroha’s the thing That once made my heart truly sing. Then a visit to France Makes me now ask askance “Just why must amour often sting?” -Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com) With rage and with grievance we’re dealing, When really we need fellow-feeling. Hawaiian aloha Or Kiwi aroha Could lead to some national healing. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) To Maui they went one fine day. The scenery blew them away. And with great aroha, Could not bid aloha. So still on the island, they stay. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) Though Kamala had the aroha, To Donald we now say hello. Bah! What now for four years? Sit and cry in our beers? Me, I’ll wander the galleries at MoMA. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Tapu I was recently warned in a book, That it’s tapu to just have a look. But Medusa, my own, Though you’ll turn me to stone, I must see you by hook or by crook. -Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com) What’s tapu you never must do; It’s something off limits to you. It wouldn’t be cool If you broke this rule -- Respect what’s considered taboo! -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) There once was a man from Baku Who said to a girl, “I’ll rock you.” But Māori she was, And also his cuz; She replied, “This can’t be -- it’s tapu.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Korero He said in our lengthy korero, “I like a flawed man as the hero. And who should portray him? The best one to play him Is someone like Robert DeNiro.” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) The korero, scheduled for hours, Went on endlessly; all the big powers Kept adding new stuff With their usual guff We stayed on, but took note of the glowers! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) They all sat around the campfire, To tell some tall tales their desire. When the korero ended, A vote was intended, To see who’s the biggest fat liar! -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “While Rome is on fire,” said Nero, “I’ll fiddle and call a korero.” Politicians now talk But at action still balk About climate change goals of net zero. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Noa “Get ready!” said Mount Krakatoa, “This eruption is gonna be noa! Vesuvius? Ha! Just a babe! I’m the pa! I pack punches like Rocky Balboa!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Mana What mana does Donald possess? This baffles me, I must confess. His aura appealing I’m simply not feeling, And why he’s adored I can’t guess. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) I was smoking some great marijuαna; That gave me a feeling of mana, Which lasted all night. I was high as a kite And flying straight into nirvana. -Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com) We all must now gather our mana, Bide our time and hang tough like Ivana. If that lady survived, Finally dumped him and thrived, I won’t sit here and cry, though I wanna. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “You gott-aroha-rder to win!” exhorted the coxswain. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Mommy, I got-tapu,” the toddler announced while her mother was shopping. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Me said s-tapu-g. No mean no,” said the cavegirl. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Korero v. Wade should be enshrined into law,” said Senator Booker’s girlfriend. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Shall we ban Muslims again, Mr. President?” “Noa mass roundup of Haitians and Latinos will be more popular this time.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “A mana plan a canal Panama” is one of my favorite palindromes. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “The Portuguese mana war is closest to the jellyfish,” the marine biologist explained to his science class. -Janice Power, Cleveland, Ohio (powerjanice782 gmail.com) “Mana kilo o’ dis fine gαnja will help get you tru de nex’ four years,” said the Jamaican weed dealer to the Democrat. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
If you hire only those people you understand, the company will never get
people better than you are. Always remember that you often find outstanding
people among those you don’t particularly like. -Soichiro Honda,
industrialist (17 Nov 1906-1991)
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