Maori words -read all about it : Testing the presence of 13 maori words in four New Zealand newspapers from 1997 to 2004

Four New Zealand newspapers were surveyed between 1997 and 2004 for articles containing thirteen selected Maori words. Frequency and distribution of the items are analysed and attitudes to te reo Maori discussed. The results show there is support for the inclusion of te reo Maori with attitudes changing in its favour. Frequency is affected by news value, geographical influences, population base, circulation and reader influences. Some words, particularly social culture words, have increased frequencies, other words remain steady, while some are identified as nonce words. Hui (meeting) and hikoi (march) are found in non-Maori contexts, but the majority of Maori words are found only in articles with a Maori context. Intrinsic meanings, seen particularly for kaumatua, create translation difficulties. Semantic divergence is nqted for some English/Maori word pairs.