Words
Te kupu o te wiki: Wīwī - France
The Māori word of the week is: Wīwī - France. Kei te mōhio koe ki te kōrero Wīwī? Do you know how to speak French? Audio
Te kupu o te wiki: whakaata - mirror
The Māori word of the week is: whakaata - mirror. Tirohia te whakaata. Look in the mirror. Audio
The orneriness of the English language
Why is spelling so hard even for some literate people? Professor Geoffrey Nunberg is an American linguist, researcher and an adjunct professor at the UC Berkeley School of Information. His latest book… Audio
Te kupu o te wiki: tākuta - doctor
The Māori word of the week is: tākuta - doctor. Mā te tākuta koe e tiaki. The doctor will tend to you. Audio
500 new words added to Oxford English Dictionary
Remember when you couldn't turn on the radio or open a newspaper without reading about twerking? Audio
Te kupu o te wiki: whetū - star
The Māori word of the week is: whetū - star. Ko Meremere-tūahiahi te whetū tuatahi o te pō. The first star at night is Venus. Audio
Te kupu o te wiki: āe - yes
The Māori word of the week is: āe - yes. Āe, kei te whakaae ahau. Yes, I agree. Audio
Te kupu o te wiki: Hāmoa - Samoa
The Māori word of the week is: Hāmoa - Samoa. Nō Hāmoa ngā tokotoru rā. They [two] are from Samoa. Audio
Copping flak for careless words
Why do we say it like that? Hewitt Humphrey discusses colloquialisms, words starting with "coe" and a painfully familiar problem to grammar experts.
Te kupu o te wiki: taringa - ear
The Māori word of the week is: taringa - ear. Kua maemae taku taringa. My ear is sore. Audio
Te kupu o te wiki: tio - oyster
The Māori word of the week is: tio - oyster. Kia ono ngā tio māku. I'll have six oysters please. Audio
Te Kupu o te Wiki: moana - sea
The Māori word of the week is: moana - sea. Pōkarekare ana ngā wai o te moana. The waters of the ocean are choppy. Audio
Te Kupu o te Wiki: Te-Ika-a-Māui - the fish of Māui
The Māori word of the week is: Te Ika-a-Māui. The fish of Māui. Audio
Medical examinations or digital conversions?
Hewitt Humphrey talks about when the misuse of similar sounding words can lead to sticky situations.
Te Kupu o te Wiki: manu - bird
The Māori word of the week is: manu - bird. Whanaihia nga manu ki te ika. Feed fish to the birds. Audio
Te Kupu o te Wiki: Papatuānuku - Earth
The Māori word of the week is: Papatūānuku - Earth. Ko Papatūānuku te ingoa Māori mō te ao. Papatūānuku is the Māori name for Earth. Audio
A whistle-stop tour from Avon to Avon
Is it Avon, Avon, or Avon? Hewitt Humphrey takes a closer look at the different Avons around the world, via trainspotting, two different violas, and the placement of 'only'.
Te Kupu o te Wiki: maumahara - remember
The Māori word of the week is: Kia maumahara tātou. Let us remember (lest we forget). Audio
Te Kupu o te Wiki: Te Aranga - Easter
The Māori word of the week is: Te Aranga - Easter. E aha an koe a Te Aranga? What are you doing for Easter? Audio