By Rachel Morton
Just when you thought the Whanganui 'H' debate was finally over, the saga continues.
The spelling may have been sorted – but now there is confusion about how it should be pronounced.
"The ‘H’ is silent bro" – read a t-shirt slogan of one local resident.
But is it?
The slogan sums up the sentiments of one Whanganui resident, but the Maori Language Commission says the way you pronounce Whanganui depends on the iwi you belong to and Maori Television reporter Julian Wilcox agrees.
The Whanganui Iwi pronounces it Whanganui – like ‘where’ in old English.
“From our point of view Whanganui, I accept that it's quite difficult for others to pronounce our name, but once again I think it's a transitional process,” says Ken Mair.
Whanganui Mayor Michael Laws will continue to pronounce it ‘Wanganui’ and says pronouncing it ‘Fanganui’ is like using an expletive.
“Anyone that comes in and starts pronouncing Wanganui as ‘Fanganui’ is in a serious lot of bother and you will get hell raining on you from both houses.”
Broadcast News outfits are also divided.
Maori Television's reporters will continue to pronounce it according to the dialect of their individual iwi; 3 News reporters will pronounce it ‘Whanganui’ like the Whanganui Iwi does; Newstalk ZB and RadioLive reporters have not yet been given a directive.
Television New Zealand and Radio New Zealand reporters have been directed to say ‘Fanganui’, the same way they would pronounce any other Maori word beginning with WH – like Whangarei.
“Just as we'd pronounce the Whanganui River as we have for many years and the Whanganui DHB, so we will do that now with the city itself,” says Hewitt Humphrey of Radio New Zealand.
So it seems Whanganui may become a case of ‘you say Tomato, I say Tomato’.
3 News