Using Māori words in English text
The Māori language, or te reo Māori, is one of the three official languages of New Zealand.
We often use Māori words within English writing, but there are a few points to remember to ensure that the Māori language is used respectfully and correctly.
-ise vs -ize endings
Sometimes when I'm writing messages on my cell phone, I end up using -ize endings when I use predictive text. I sometimes wonder if people think that I don’t know the correct spelling for New Zealand English. Do they even know if it is wrong in New Zealand English?
I wonder if US English-style predictive text usage has a part to play in the confusion that surrounds whether to use -ise or -ize endings in New Zealand English.
Single or double quote marks?
Quotation marks (also called quote marks, speech marks or inverted commas) are used to mark text that is dialogue or quoted material.
They can also be used for ‘scare quotes’ (see what I did there?) to show that a term is sarcastic, slang, a term that would not normally be used in that style of writing, or to isolate the term for attention.
Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks?
New Zealanders are exposed to a mix of American and British content, so we no longer know instinctively what is right for New Zealand English.
You wouldn't think it, but there's a difference in punctuation between these variations of English too. It's good to be consistent within a piece of writing (your reader will unconsciously pick up on inconsistencies even if they don't know why), so it's helpful to know the rules.
So, where does the punctuation go with quotation marks in New Zealand English?