The MAONZE project: Changing uses of an indigenous language database

The MAONZE (Māori and New Zealand English) database consists of audio recordings that have been collected for the purpose of analyzing sound change over time in the Māori language. The database contains the Māori and English speech of nearly 70 male and female speakers of different age groups from a range of tribal areas. The time depth of the database is provided by the speech of 18 men and women born in the late 19 th century and recorded in the mid to late 20 th century. This paper describes the database and discusses issues surrounding its creation and use.