Are you saying the name of your favourite beer correctly?
A few weeks ago, this thought occurred to me as I was filling a row of Garage Project’s Hāpi Daze in the beer fridge: “Am I saying this beer name correctly?”
I believed I was, but I also noticed a lot of people were saying it wrong.
So I asked my friend Regan Taylor from The Māori Side Steps to help me out and together we made a short video so you can make sure you’re getting the name of your favourite beer right too.
Te Reo Māori Beer Names Pronunciation Checklist:
Tuatara Iti
Moa Belgian Tripel
Garage Project Hāpi Daze
Waiheke (Brewing Co.) Heke Lager
Kererū Auro Golden Ale
I believe if you love the beer, you should love the name. Especially when it comes to te reo Māori names.
An audio clip of Marcus Lush on Newstalk ZB earlier this month went viral after he had two callers in a row who refused to accept that they were mispronouncing Māori names. It made me realize that every time I say these words wrong I am contributing to a stagnant mindset that I don’t want to align with. Nor do I want my business Cupid bar to align with this.
I started my journey of pronunciation with the word “Moa” after a friend who lived in Pt Chev complained that she often hears people saying “Mower Road” instead of “Moa Road”. So I wanted to make this video to show people that while it’s forgivable to get it wrong once or twice, its “moa” important to try to get the names right in future than it is to hang onto traditions that value saying something wrong.
I’m now not afraid to correct people if they get the name wrong, not to shame them but just to let them know it matters.
Thanks to all the breweries using (appropriate and not appropriated) Māori names for their beer, you are doing a good thing!
*I am of the belief that the names used above are appropriate and not appropriated. Of course there are instances in which a beer company has used a Māori name and it has been culturally offensive. It always pays to do your research, and if the use of a name or word may offend then don’t use it. There are plenty more te reo Māori words to choose from.