ABSTRACT
The segmental descriptions below are based on two sources: specially elicited data including minimal pairs and other crucial items from two consultants (a female Te Aupouri speaker and a male Ngapuhi speaker), and the four cassettes Nga Ingoa o Aotearoa recorded by Hugh Young (henceforth abbreviated NGIOA). The latter is a recording of Maori place-names from the North Island spoken by Maori speakers from each local area. They were collected to serve as a model for broadcasters. The speakers were chosen by the local Maori communities. The majority of the speakers on the tapes are male. There are over 100 different speakers. Unfortunately, no information was collected on the age of the speakers, nor on their linguistic background. However, it is clear that none of them are young speakers, and many are amongst the older members of their community.
