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The winner of this year’s Te Taura Whiri award for Maori language leadership says the language is flexible enough to deal with whatever ideas are thrown at it.
Te Wharehuia Milroy says he was humbled by the award for his lifetime contribution to the revitalization of te reo, as he’s just one of many who have played their part.
He says the language is under pressure from the widespread use of English in almost all contexts.
He says a lot of his work has been about finding the right words for everyday situations.
"Nothing is lost in terms of the meaning, but some of our old words can still be applied to new contexts and we ought not to be too concerned about trying to use those words in these new contexts because you maintain an essence of Maori thinking and understanding," Professor Milroy
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