Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Maori
CLASSIFICATION		Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Polynesian
ORTHOGRAPHY		Latin
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		mri
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		South Island Taranaki Rotorua-Taupo Wanganui North Auckland Bay of Plenty
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Increasingly New Zealand is referred to by the Māori name Aotearoa 'the long white cloud', though originally this referred only to the North Island of New Zealand.

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Information from: “Māori: Revitalization of an endangered language” . Jeanette King (2018) , Kenneth Rehg; Lyle Campbell · Oxford University Press

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
127,000
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
just under 600,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
The 127,000 includes both first- and second-language speakers and was generated based on the statistic that "currently 21.3% of the Māori population of just under 600,000 report being able to speak conversational Māori." Of these speakers, "the age group which has the highest proportion of Māori speakers are those over 65 (of whom 39% report being able to speak Māori)," which matched with the 2013 New Zealand census statement that "the Māori ethnic group makes up 5.6 percent (32,181 people) of the 65+ population" equates to 12,550 true native speakers of Māori.

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"The intergenerational transmission rate for Māori is 36%." "In Benton’s research during the 1970s the marae and the church were the two strongest Māori language domains. One of the major successes of kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa has been to add school as another domain for the language." "Of concern were results from the National Māori Language Survey which showed that nearly half of those surveyed never spoke Māori at home and only 14% of respondents used Māori on a daily basis (Te Puni Kōkiri 1998, 49)."

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Official language, Māori Language Act

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Immersion schools, Radio, Television, Support for home and community use

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
60,260
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
530,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
There are 60,000 speakers in New Zealand (Fishman 1991). 100,000 people understand it but do not speak it (1995 Maori Language Commission). Data for the ethnic population comes from the Honolulu Advertiser (2002).

PLACES: New Zealand;

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
70,000
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
60,000
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
10,000-99,999
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
In 1995, 30,000 - 50,000 adult speakers over 15 years old were reported.

MORE ON VITALITY

Recently, there has been increasing reluctance by members of the young
generation to use Maori.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Yes

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English
New Zealand Sign Language

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

300+ government-funded schools including pre-schools

Scripts (Writing system)

Latin

PLACES: New Zealand

Ethnic population
400,000

MORE ON VITALITY

"Language recovery is important because the proportion of Maaori speakers is dangerously low."

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Maaori Language Comission, official language status

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Radio, Maaori preschools

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"Maaori themselves have started Maaori language preschools, and they are pressuring the government to offer Maaori through high school."

Severely endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
CHILDREN
4,392
YOUNG ADULTS
5,286
OLDER ADULTS
3,936
ELDERS
2,742
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Chlidren, young adults, older adults, and elders total to 16,356 "Māori [people] with Māori language competencies." Non-Māori Māori speakers not taken into account.

DOMAINS OF USE

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Based on the 2006 census: 19% of Māori age 0-14, 25% age 15-34, 27% age 35-54, and 44% age 55+ have "Māori language competencies." "Thirty-one percent of children or dependents live in households where there is at least one adult speaker of te reo, meaning that acquisition through intergenerational transmission is possible," but "communication patterns in the home have not yet reached a level where the Māori language is considered the primary means of communication."

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

"Sixty-one percent of Māori adults are dissatisfied with their level of proficiency in the Māori language and desire to increase their language skill levels."

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Māori radio and television, Schools, te reo based early childhood services

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"The use of the Māori language in the community remains most common in Māori cultural domains such as in hui or on the marae. The Māori language is not the primary means of communication in other everyday activities within the community setting."

PLACES: New Zealand

MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"86.1 percent (or 492,165) of people aged 65+ who stated they could speak at least one language said they spoke only English. This compares with 77.9 percent for those under 65 years of age. 666 people [65+ said they] could hold a conversation only in te reo Māori."

DATE OF INFO: 2013

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: New Zealand

SPEAKER ATTITUDE: "68 percent of the Māori population, believes that ‘not enough’ Māori language is currently being spoken... the percentage of the non-Māori population who believe that ‘not enough’ Māori language is currently being spoken has increased since 2003, from 30 percent to 38 percent in 2009."
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT: Television, cultural exhibits, events
LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: "Among non-Māori, the percentage of ‘passive supporters’ has increased and now represents 71 percent of the non-Māori population"

PLACES: New Zealand

0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																						-40.0,176.0
		3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub				70,000		10000-99999									Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						-38.4105,177.3632
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International	Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub		530,000		60,260		10000-99999	There are 60,000 speakers in New Zealand (Fishman 1991). 100,000 people understand it but do not speak it (1995 Maori Language Commission). Data for the ethnic population comes from the Honolulu Advertiser (2002).								Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					New Zealand;
			1993	Maaori of New Zealand	State of the Peoples: A Global Human Rights Report on Societies in Danger	105-106	Marc S. Miller	Beacon Press	Boston			R.T. Mahuta	R.T. Mahuta. 1993. "Maaori of New Zealand." In State of the Peoples: A Global Human Rights Report on Societies in Danger, edited by Marc S. Miller. 105-106. Beacon Press.			400,000								Maaori Language Comission, official language status		"Maaori themselves have started Maaori language preschools, and they are pressuring the government to offer Maaori through high school."	Radio, Maaori preschools				"Language recovery is important because the proportion of Maaori speakers is dangerously low."
			2018	Māori: Revitalization of an endangered language	Handbook of Endangered Languages		Kenneth Rehg; Lyle Campbell	Oxford University Press				Jeanette King				just under 600,000		127,000		10000-99999	The 127,000 includes both first- and second-language speakers and was generated based on the statistic that "currently 21.3% of the Māori population of just under 600,000 report being able to speak conversational Māori." Of these speakers, "the age group which has the highest proportion of Māori speakers are those over 65 (of whom 39% report being able to speak Māori)," which matched with the 2013 New Zealand census statement that "the Māori ethnic group makes up 5.6 percent (32,181 people) of the 65+ population" equates to 12,550 true native speakers of Māori.			Official language, Māori Language Act			Immersion schools, Radio, Television, Support for home and community use		Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	"The intergenerational transmission rate for Māori is 36%." "In Benton’s research during the 1970s the marae and the church were the two strongest Māori language domains. One of the major successes of kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa has been to add school as another domain for the language." "Of concern were results from the National Māori Language Survey which showed that nearly half of those surveyed never spoke Māori at home and only 14% of respondents used Māori on a daily basis (Te Puni Kōkiri 1998, 49)."	14	14
070071197X	3	1	2007	Australia and the Pacific	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	424-557		Routledge	Abingdon			Stephen A Wurm	Wurm, Stephen A. 2007. Australia and the Pacific. In Christopher Moseley, Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, 1 edn., 424-557. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 070071197X	ll_pub						10000-99999	In 1995, 30,000 - 50,000 adult speakers over 15 years old were reported.		English, New Zealand Sign Language	Yes		300+ government-funded schools including pre-schools		all	Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Recently, there has been increasing reluctance by members of the young generation to use Maori.			New Zealand
	April		2009	Te Oranga o te Reo Māori ki Waikato 2006 (The Health of the Māori Language in Waikato 2006)						Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development)	https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/a-matou-mohiotanga/language/				3,936		5,286				Chlidren, young adults, older adults, and elders total to 16,356 "Māori [people] with Māori language competencies." Non-Māori Māori speakers not taken into account.	2,742			"Sixty-one percent of Māori adults are dissatisfied with their level of proficiency in the Māori language and desire to increase their language skill levels."	"The use of the Māori language in the community remains most common in Māori cultural domains such as in hui or on the marae. The Māori language is not the primary means of communication in other everyday activities within the community setting."	Māori radio and television, Schools, te reo based early childhood services		Severely Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	Based on the 2006 census: 19% of Māori age 0-14, 25% age 15-34, 27% age 35-54, and 44% age 55+ have "Māori language competencies." "Thirty-one percent of children or dependents live in households where there is at least one adult speaker of te reo, meaning that acquisition through intergenerational transmission is possible," but "communication patterns in the home have not yet reached a level where the Māori language is considered the primary means of communication."	15		New Zealand
			2013	2013 Census QuickStats about people aged 65 and over						New Zealand Government	http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/quickstats-65-plus.aspx	Statistics New Zealand							2013		"86.1 percent (or 492,165) of people aged 65+ who stated they could speak at least one language said they spoke only English. This compares with 77.9 percent for those under 65 years of age. 666 people [65+ said they] could hold a conversation only in te reo Māori."		English											New Zealand
				World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.					60,000		10000-99999									Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
	October		2010	2009 Rangahau i Ngā Waiaro, Ngā Uara me Ngā Whakapono Mö te Reo Māori (2009 Survey of Attitudes, Values and Beliefs Towards the Māori Language)						Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development)	https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/a-matou-mohiotanga/language/														"68 percent of the Māori population, believes that ‘not enough’ Māori language is currently being spoken... the percentage of the non-Māori population who believe that ‘not enough’ Māori language is currently being spoken has increased since 2003, from 30 percent to 38 percent in 2009."	"Among non-Māori, the percentage of ‘passive supporters’ has increased and now represents 71 percent of the non-Māori population"	Television, cultural exhibits, events							New Zealand

Māori

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

127,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

60,260

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

70,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

60,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,000-99,999

Severely endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Discussion

Māori

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

127,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

60,260

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

70,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

60,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,000-99,999

Severely endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Discussion

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Sources of information

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