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New Zild - The Story of New Zealand English

2005 Television
  • Documentary
  • Captioned
  • Arts/Culture
  • NZ History
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About

New Zealand's unique accent is often derided across the dutch for its vowel-mangling pronunciation ("sex fush'n'chups", anyone?) and being too fast-paced for tourists to understand. In this documentary Jim Mora follows the evolution of New Zealand English, from the "colonial twang" to Billy T James. Linguist Elizabeth Gordon explains the infamous HRT (High Rising Terminal) at the end of sentences, and Mora interprets such phrases as "air gun" ("how are you going?"). Lynn of Tawa also features, in an accent face-off with Sam Neill and Judy Bailey.

Key Cast & Crew

Profile picture of Sam Neill
Sam Neill
Subject
Profile picture of Pio Terei
Pio Terei
Subject
Profile picture of Ginette McDonald
Ginette McDonald
As: Lynn of Tawa
Profile picture of Jim Mora
Jim Mora
Presenter

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