Whanganui Place Name Report - Linguistic/Orthographic Comment

Refer to the Te Ara extract from the NZ Encyclopedia 1968, on the introduction of ‘wh’ for the English language ‘f’ sound (supported by Sir Peter Buck).

See also:

• email dated 23 February 2009 from Martin Paviour-Smith, a linguist from Massey University
• letter dated 24 February 2009 from Huia Kirk, Massey University student
• The Pronunciation of the wh in Māori – a case study by Margaret Maclagan and Jeanette King
• Our Southernmost Maoris, by Herries Beattie; pages 86 – 92

Board members, fluent in Te Reo Māori, may provide further comment on the dialectical differences that iwi have in the Wanganui area, to the dialects of other iwi around New Zealand.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission) have been asked to provide their views on the orthography of Whanganui, as per the Board’s statutory function under Section 11(1)(f) [refer below to the heading entitled ‘Statutory Functions of the Board (2008 Act)’]. See response from Te Taura Whiri, dated 3 March 2009, supporting ‘Whanganui’.

The Board should consider whether a macron applies over the first ‘a’, and the continuation of a composite word.

The local dialectical pronunciation does not sound out the typical ‘f’ for ‘wh’, that other dialects enunciate, and which have been standardised by Te Taura Whiri. This has the effect that the local spoken language does not (to the untrained ear) clearly discern between Wanganui or Whanganui. There may therefore be merit to the argument that a change would cause the name to be pronounced ‘Fanganui’ when in fact it should continue to be pronounced ‘Wanganui’, as per the local dialect (the river should also be pronounced ‘Fanganui’). Note that other names (including English names) have silent consonants, e.g. K and G in the Poor Knights Islands. No matter what the spelling, people will continue to pronounce the name however they wish, a common occurrence which happens throughout the world.