The Māori Grammars and Vocabularies of Thomas Kendall and John Gare Butler

Abstract

Just over 200 years ago, the first missionary party was sent by Samuel Marsden to establish his New Zealand Mission returned to Sydney after a visit to the Bay of Islands. Among the members of the exploratory party was Thomas Kendall, who became the first missionary teacher with responsibility for studying the Maori language. This volume brings together Kendall’s work on the Maori language with that of John Gare Butler, representing some of the earliest descriptions of the language. As well as providing a historical record of these early sources on Maori, the volume gives insights into early encounters with the language and the tensions within the Mission.