Call to return the missing 'wh' to South Island Māori place names
The misspelling of Whakaroa as Akaroa is one of many errors made by early South Island surveyors unable to hear the soft “wh” in Māori place names, says Sir Tipene O’Regan.
Akaroa's original name Whakaroa means “long harbour”. Ngāi Tahu kaumatua O’Regan said correct Māori pronunciation of the “wh” sound was very soft and often indistinguishable to the ears of early English settlers in New Zealand.
He would like to see the official spelling corrected for the place names, which required an application to Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), a public submission process and approval by the minister for land information.
Read the full story here.
Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
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10.6% Yes! New Year, New Me
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21% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
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68.4% Nah - not for me
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Response to regifting presents
My mind tends to wander:
I do not see any problem with regifting it back to the person who gave it, they obviously liked it. In fact, that might work out well as you buy the present you want, then gift it to someone you know who will gift it back.
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