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Maori Language Facts
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| Extinct: no |
| Family: Malayo-Polynesian |
| Branch: Polynesian |
| Continent: Australia |
| Country: New Zealand |
| Region: Far north, east coast, North Island. |
| Countries Where Spoken: 50,000 to 70,000 speakers (1991 Fishman, p. 231), 100,000 who understand it, but do not speak it, out of 310,000 or more Maori people (1995 Maori Language Commission). |
| Countries Where Official: New Zealand |
| Native Speakers: 50,000 |
| Speakers Total: 70,000 |
| Phrasebase members who speak this language at a native level: 0 |
| Phrasebase members who speak this language at a conversational level: 0 |
| Phrasebase members primary language they are trying to learn: 1 |
| Phrasebase members secondary language they are trying to learn: 15 |
| Three Letter Code: MBF |
| Alternative Names: NEW ZEALAND MAORI |
| Dialects: |
| Summary: Formerly fragmented into a number of regional dialects, some of which diverged quite radically from what has become the standard dialect. 71% lexical similarity with Hawaiian, 57% with Samoan. All or most use English as second language. 30,000 to 50,000 adult speakers over 15 years old (1995 Maori Language Commission). 33% of fluent speakers are over 60 years old, 38% are between 45 and 59. Until the 20th century spoken throughout New Zealand. The Moriori dialect in the Chatham Islands is extinct. Official language. VSO. 322 government-funded Maori language schools, including for pre-schoolers. Volcanic plateau. Christian. Bible 1858-1952. |
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