Maori, an Eastern Polynesian language, is the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand. With few inflections and the array of grammatical particles characteristic of the Polynesian family, it is readily approachable by the unfamiliar linguist. However, despite recent attempts to revive it, it is presently under threat. It seems likely that the Maori of the future, if it survives, will differ quite considerably from the Maori of the past.

Maori provides the first comprehensive description of the structure of the language, covering syntax, morphology and phonology. It is based on written narrative texts and data elicited from older native-speaking consultants, but includes many comments on the changes in usage currently observable. This discussion, which is illustrated with a wealth of examples, will interest both linguistic theoreticians and descriptive linguists, including language typologists and those interested in the history of the Polynesian-language family. It is also a valuable resource for the study and resuscitation of the Maori language.