What's with the "wh"?
Apr 6th 2012, 12:09 am
#1
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What's with the "wh"?
Why are words spelt with "wh" pronounced "f" here, we found it a bit strange?
Apr 6th 2012, 1:33 am
#2
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 472
Re: What's with the "wh"?
Hi Kija,
The 'wh' is officially a different sound to an 'f'. Don't ask me what it is, because I can't tell the difference and I think only fluent speakers can say it absolutely correctly. Maori didn't have a written language until the European arrived. Some European I think just transcribed things how he/she thought it sounded, hence the 'wh' spelling.
You may notice that a lot of us older generation still pronounce the 'wh' as 'w'. As in Wangaray (Whangarei) instead of Fungaray. It's not intentional. It's just hard to change the way of saying things half way through your life when you were taught as a kid to say it some other way.
The 'wh' is officially a different sound to an 'f'. Don't ask me what it is, because I can't tell the difference and I think only fluent speakers can say it absolutely correctly. Maori didn't have a written language until the European arrived. Some European I think just transcribed things how he/she thought it sounded, hence the 'wh' spelling.
You may notice that a lot of us older generation still pronounce the 'wh' as 'w'. As in Wangaray (Whangarei) instead of Fungaray. It's not intentional. It's just hard to change the way of saying things half way through your life when you were taught as a kid to say it some other way.
Apr 6th 2012, 3:00 am
#3
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
Think its supposed to sound like this 
Apr 6th 2012, 3:53 am
#4
We're HERE!!!
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Joined: Jul 2009
Location: New Zealand!
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
Hi Kija,
The 'wh' is officially a different sound to an 'f'. Don't ask me what it is, because I can't tell the difference and I think only fluent speakers can say it absolutely correctly. Maori didn't have a written language until the European arrived. Some European I think just transcribed things how he/she thought it sounded, hence the 'wh' spelling.
You may notice that a lot of us older generation still pronounce the 'wh' as 'w'. As in Wangaray (Whangarei) instead of Fungaray. It's not intentional. It's just hard to change the way of saying things half way through your life when you were taught as a kid to say it some other way.
The 'wh' is officially a different sound to an 'f'. Don't ask me what it is, because I can't tell the difference and I think only fluent speakers can say it absolutely correctly. Maori didn't have a written language until the European arrived. Some European I think just transcribed things how he/she thought it sounded, hence the 'wh' spelling.
You may notice that a lot of us older generation still pronounce the 'wh' as 'w'. As in Wangaray (Whangarei) instead of Fungaray. It's not intentional. It's just hard to change the way of saying things half way through your life when you were taught as a kid to say it some other way.
Apr 6th 2012, 5:01 am
#5
Joined: Jun 2011
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
I think it is something like that actually.
Apr 6th 2012, 5:40 am
#6
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
Apr 6th 2012, 7:54 am
#7
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
Apr 6th 2012, 8:25 am
#8
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
"they" are some of my relatives who will almost certainly not appreciate generalisation. They have well paid jobs, their kids are studying at uni and probably swear no more than pakeha teenagers. They can also trace their family history back here for generations - far longer than any expats.
Although I see where you are coming from being a British expat myself married to a kiwi, this sort of attitude doesn't help anyone.
Although I see where you are coming from being a British expat myself married to a kiwi, this sort of attitude doesn't help anyone.
Apr 6th 2012, 9:13 am
#9
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
Oh stop being so touchy, we've all got plenty of Maori friends most of which would probably
laugh at your stupid, typically British, overly PC reaction.
All scousers are car thieves
All man utd fans dont live in manchester
All Islanders are fat.
All americans are stupid
yadda yadda yadda
My family tree goes back to the 12th century, whoop de do, doesnt make me any more special than anyone else
Get down of your high horse and wind your neck in
laugh at your stupid, typically British, overly PC reaction.
All scousers are car thieves
All man utd fans dont live in manchester
All Islanders are fat.
All americans are stupid
yadda yadda yadda
My family tree goes back to the 12th century, whoop de do, doesnt make me any more special than anyone else
Get down of your high horse and wind your neck in
Apr 6th 2012, 10:19 am
#10
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Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 1,111
Re: What's with the "wh"?
Oh stop being so touchy, we've all got plenty of Maori friends most of which would probably
laugh at your stupid, typically British, overly PC reaction.
All scousers are car thieves
All man utd fans dont live in manchester
All Islanders are fat.
All americans are stupid
yadda yadda yadda
My family tree goes back to the 12th century, whoop de do, doesnt make me any more special than anyone else
Get down of your high horse and wind your neck in
laugh at your stupid, typically British, overly PC reaction.
All scousers are car thieves
All man utd fans dont live in manchester
All Islanders are fat.
All americans are stupid
yadda yadda yadda
My family tree goes back to the 12th century, whoop de do, doesnt make me any more special than anyone else
Get down of your high horse and wind your neck in
Does being able to trace your family back further than 'us' lot make you a better person. I couldn't give a monkeys about my ancestors, I was born and raised in England and I'm English, any future kids I have in NZ will be 100% Kiwi. None of this 'I'm one 16th summat else' nonsense.
Apr 6th 2012, 10:42 am
#11
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
the one 16th bullshit is so "they" can dodge university fees
Apr 6th 2012, 8:07 pm
#14
Joined: May 2005
Location: Abu Dhabi
Posts: 962
Re: What's with the "wh"?
"they" are some of my relatives who will almost certainly not appreciate generalisation. They have well paid jobs, their kids are studying at uni and probably swear no more than pakeha teenagers. They can also trace their family history back here for generations - far longer than any expats.
Although I see where you are coming from being a British expat myself married to a kiwi, this sort of attitude doesn't help anyone.
Although I see where you are coming from being a British expat myself married to a kiwi, this sort of attitude doesn't help anyone.
Apr 6th 2012, 8:14 pm
#15
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Location: Birkdale, Auckland
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Re: What's with the "wh"?
This Dingle White Trash Northern Monkey Pommy Jafa agrees.
Does being able to trace your family back further than 'us' lot make you a better person. I couldn't give a monkeys about my ancestors, I was born and raised in England and I'm English, any future kids I have in NZ will be 100% Kiwi. None of this 'I'm one 16th summat else' nonsense.
Does being able to trace your family back further than 'us' lot make you a better person. I couldn't give a monkeys about my ancestors, I was born and raised in England and I'm English, any future kids I have in NZ will be 100% Kiwi. None of this 'I'm one 16th summat else' nonsense.
This