How English Language Changed the Maori Language

When European settlers first arrived in New Zealand, the Maori slowly decided to learn their foreign language: English. However, this choice caused the native language to be pushed into the minority category. The introduction of English to New Zealand can be seen as an example how any type of English in an established country can forever cause the native language to have to fight to survive. This paper will examine how the introduction of the English language forced a once prominent language to either adapt or slowly disappear.

English Arrival in New Zealand

Before discussing the role of English in New Zealand and the Maori language, it is important to give the history of how English got into New Zealand in the first place. Despite Captain James Cook introducing English to New Zealand in 1769, the language left as soon as he did. In fact, in regards to many of the different varieties of World English (British, Australian, American), New Zealand English is new, not even 200 years old.



In the early 1800s, primarily European missionaries, sailors, and traders who had settled in the country spoke English. By the 1830s, English use was increasing in public office use, but Maori was still the major language. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi signed between the Maori chiefs and the British Government, lead to English being further spread in the country. By the 1860s, English was the majority language and the once predominant Maori became the minority.

The Maori Language New Zealand History

The history of the Maori language in New Zealand is a bit lesser known. What is known is that the Polynesian ancestors of Maori arrived centuries ahead of the first European settlers. It is also known that that Maori is, naturally, related to other Polynesian languages such as Tahitian, Samoan, and Hawaiian. An example of the relationship comes in the form of the Maori word aroha to the Hawaiian aloha.



The Language Shift