Whakatane (pron.)??????

how would you pronounce the place whakatane..

I was hoping it would be whack a ta knee or something..
but apparently that wh at the start is a F sound and the a is more of a "uh" sound ...

which makes it sound like f**k a ta knee..

I cant take my kids to live there...

Tell me I'm wrong!!

Anyone know it? Whats is like for IT work (As400) Theres a job going there that my better half is going to apply for..

It would be pronounced:

Fock a tar nay

Thats how they pronounce it on the news etc anyway!

Dont know what its like for AS400 jobs though, sorry.

There are worse place names, Craigbasillie. How about Whakapapa? (Hear it is good for skiing though).

Don't wish to start a list of "rude" sounding NZ names, but a bar in Cambridge is called B*llocks !!

Pam & Dave

Glenda - I've never heard of that place but I would never admit to having 'gone to Whakpapa'

Zemanova - if you'd taken us to that bar you mentioned when we first met, we may have been less impressed with you than we were

The WH = F debate is an old one in NZ.

The maori names were passed into english by listening to them and then writing them down, as there was no "Maori" text.

So if a place name started with an F why would it have been written down as "wh"?

Doesn't make sence. They surely knew what they were doing when they recorded the names, and when they original white settlers agreed that this was the name of their settlement.

However as there are dialects in Maori, the wh = f may just be the raising in importantance of a dialect over that of the original speakers of the area.

Happens everywhere else as well.

Hi Welshgirl

How is Cardiff at the moment. We bet you are ready to return to NZ and have been for some time. Really pleased to hear from Taffy that your PR has been approved.

Of course we wouldn't have dreamed of taking you to a particularly named Cambridge Bar on a first meeting, but next time ..... !!

Not sure how Taffy will get on looking after himself until you get home, so we have invited him over for a meal, if he gets fed up of cooking for himself.

See you all soon


Pam & Dave

Hi Both,

No idea how Cardiff is at this precise moment, as I am in Poole visiting my cousin for a few days! But you're right, I am very much looking forward to coming 'home' to NZ!

I shall forward to visiting B*ollocks in the not too distant future then

Thanks for inviting Taffy for a meal - I'm sure he'll call on you if required and it's nice to know someone is looking out for him in my absence!

All the best and see you soon,
Lisa

I wonder if the "wh" spelling represented some hybrid of "f" and "wh"? Will need to ask a Maori speaker sometime.

Whooked if I know