Maintaining the authenticity of te reo Māori in the movie Moana te reo Māori

The genre of putting together the Māori oral language script for the voice-overs of the movie Moana te reo Māori presented many challenges to the team given the task. This presentation discusses some aspects of oral language... [ view full abstract ]

The genre of putting together the Māori oral language script for the voice-overs of the movie Moana te reo Māori presented many challenges to the team given the task. This presentation discusses some aspects of oral language production such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, grammar, vocabulary, discourse and Māori discourse in the context of the movie. Maintaining the authenticity and integrity of te reo Māori along with the intent of the English text was critical. A strong focus in this presentation is the assimilation of the Māori vowels and consonants in syllables, words, phrases and sentences; the vocabulary and expressions that are authentically Māori or the creation of terms not normally a part of the native vernacular.