He Pātaka Kupu

He Pātaka Kupu – The Chief's Feast Te Papakupu Reo Māori A Chronicle The initial thoughts for the dictionary arose in the early 1990s, during discussions between Timoti Karetu (then Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) and many others, including elders and word collectors. The project of a Māori-only dictionary began in 1999, driven by concerns about the decline in the number of Māori speakers and the diminishing overall use of Māori words. The dictionary was seen as a vital reserve of Māori vocabulary, utilizing technology to preserve and promote the language. In 2001, a team of writers started creating the dictionary, which was completed in April 2008. The speed of completion for a project of this magnitude (a dictionary with 24,000 entries) in just six or seven years is remarkable. Most dictionaries with 12,000 words take twelve years to compile. This dictionary has been named He Pātaka Kupu – the chief's feast. Introduction He Pātaka Kupu fulfills a critical need for Māori language resources within Māori immersion environments. This follows the release of dictionaries for Wharekura students in 2001, namely Tirohia and Kimihia. The shift towards a Māori-only dictionary was prompted by the decline of native elders and the growing number of adults actively using the Māori language. The creation of He Pātaka Kupu is a novel and unique undertaking, both within Aotearoa and globally. Its primary purpose is to revitalize Māori language spaces within diverse Māori communities. He Pātaka Kupu was created in response to the need to: 1. Capture the depth, breadth, and vitality of the Māori language as used within Māori society. 2. Gather and preserve Māori language information that is currently available but at risk of being lost. 3. Support the growth of Māori language learning, including language revitalization efforts, grammar, and Māori lexicography. 4. Consolidate human resources and strategies for the continued growth of the language at regional and national levels. 5. Support immersion schools and educational institutions for students and adults. KEY MESSAGES • He Pātaka Kupu was launched on September 1, 2008. • He Pātaka Kupu is a source of pride as it uses the Māori language to describe itself and its world. • He Pātaka Kupu highlights synonyms and regional variations of key terms. This development has established a research foundation that facilitates the growth of other dictionary projects. • He Pātaka Kupu encompasses the full range of both historical and contemporary developments in Māori lexicography. • He Pātaka Kupu is an invaluable resource assisting ongoing efforts to revitalize the language. • Comparing the key terms in He Pātaka Kupu with those in the Wiremu dictionary, He Pātaka Kupu contains 24,000 entries compared to Wiremu's 17,000 key terms. • He Pātaka Kupu took seven years to complete. In contrast, it takes 12 years to complete other dictionaries with 20,000 key terms.