Māori
Enable an AI agent to recognise, describe and support the use of te reo Māori, assess linguistic meaning and variation, and handle language material with appropriate attribution and respect for its speakers.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
5 bundles · 10 layers · 10 findings · 22 questions
Māori referent and collective context Establishes what the label Māori means in the particular case and whose context is represented.
Referent boundary
Separates the meanings carried by Māori in a record.
Intended Māori referent
Record the evidenced meaning of Māori here and retain ambiguity where the source does not resolve it.
- Does Māori here denote people, te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori, a cultural expression or several of these? definition
- Which aspects require links to person, language or organisation models rather than being owned by this entry? boundary
Collective attribution
Locates an account in its explicitly identified Māori collective context.
Scope of a collective account
Record whose account is being represented and the limits of that attribution.
- Which whānau, hapū, iwi or other Māori context does the source explicitly identify? provenance
- What supports the account's applicability beyond its named speakers, community or setting? boundary
Te reo Māori and meaning Preserves Māori wording and the context needed to interpret it.
Wording and local usage
Captures the form actually supplied and any source-identified language context.
Attested Māori form
Retain names, spelling, macrons and alternative forms with their attribution rather than imposing an unexplained correction.
- What Māori wording or name does the source use, including macrons and any stated alternative spelling? provenance
- Is a difference identified as local usage, historical spelling, transcription error or an unresolved variation? definition
Translation and interpretation
Separates source language from explanatory interpretation.
Attributed interpretation
Record who supplied a translation or explanation and where its meaning remains limited or disputed.
- Who supplied or reviewed this translation, and for which Māori usage and audience? provenance
- Which meanings or relationships would be lost if the agent substituted only an English gloss? boundary
Mātauranga provenance and relationships Locates knowledge in its attributed transmission and relevant relationships.
Knowledge transmission
Records how an account reached its present form without assuming that publication establishes authority.
Account and transmission history
Distinguish the knowledge holder, speaker, recorder, translator and publisher where known and appropriate to disclose.
- Through which identified speakers, records, translations or publications did this account reach the agent? provenance
- Which changes, omissions or uncertainties in that transmission affect interpretation? boundary
Whakapapa and place context
Retains relevant relationships to people and place when supplied and authorised for this purpose.
Context-bearing relationships
Record the minimum disclosed whakapapa or place relationships needed to interpret an account without reconstructing private genealogies.
- Which relationships to whakapapa, whenua, waters or named places does the source identify as necessary to understand this account? definition
- Which of those relationships may be recorded or shown to the intended audience, and under whose stated conditions? action
Tikanga, authority and use Connects a proposed action with applicable tikanga and an evidenced decision process.
Applicable tikanga
Identifies guidance relevant to this material, setting and audience.
Context-specific handling
Record attributed handling requirements, including any locally specified significance of tapu or noa, without assigning those categories independently.
- What tikanga or handling conditions have relevant sources specified for this material and setting? provenance
- How do those conditions affect quotation, naming, display, translation or circulation to this audience? action
Decision authority
Establishes who can decide about the proposed use and what their decision covers.
Permission for a specific action
Record the basis and limits of authority and consent for each materially different use.
- Who is identified as able to authorise this use, and what evidence establishes that role for this particular material? provenance
- Does the decision cover the proposed publication, adaptation, commercial use or AI training, including its audience and duration? action
- What must the agent do if authority is disputed, permission is withdrawn or the proposed use changes? action
Living context and review Tracks current applicability, differing accounts and community-defined evidence of continuity.
Current and differing accounts
Keeps review status and differences tied to their sources and scope.
Situated review state
Record whether an account is current and reviewed for its stated context while preserving attributed alternatives.
- Who has reviewed this account, when, and for which community, purpose or setting? provenance
- Do differing accounts reflect distinct local contexts, historical change, translation choices or an unresolved disagreement? boundary
Continuity and transmission evidence
Assesses continuity through indicators chosen or endorsed for the relevant context.
Community-defined continuity
Record scoped evidence of use and transmission without equating restricted access or scarce digital records with loss.
- Which indicators do relevant Māori sources consider meaningful for the continuity of this language use, knowledge or practice? measurement
- What period, population and collection limits apply to those indicators? measurement
- What support or transmission activities have the relevant people requested or authorised the agent to assist with? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Information and virtual systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- INF
- Domain
- INF.KNW
What it is Filled
Māori, also called te reo Māori, is a Polynesian language spoken in New Zealand.
In scope
- Identification distinguishes te reo Māori from other languages and from references to Māori people or knowledge.
- Language description includes pronunciation, vowel length, spelling and writing conventions.
- Linguistic structure includes grammar, vocabulary and meaning.
- Language use includes translation, learning and communication in identified contexts.
- Variation includes dialects and forms associated with particular speaker communities.
- Language resources retain source attribution and applicable access or reuse conditions.
Out of scope
- Individual identity, ancestry verification and membership adjudication are outside this language model.
- Full organisational models of iwi, hapū, trusts or representative bodies are outside this entry.
- Mātauranga Māori and cultural practices are outside this entry as comprehensive knowledge domains.
- Physical conservation and ownership records for taonga, buildings or landscapes are outside this entry.
- Determination of legal rights, Treaty claims or statutory obligations is outside this entry.
Why it exists Filled
Enable an AI agent to recognise, describe and support the use of te reo Māori, assess linguistic meaning and variation, and handle language material with appropriate attribution and respect for its speakers.
Distinguishing features Filled
- The entry denotes te reo Māori as a language rather than Māori people or mātauranga Māori as a whole.
- Pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar together support identification beyond isolated words or visual cues.
- Descriptions identify relevant dialect and speaker context rather than presenting one form as universal.
- An English translation remains distinguishable from the Māori wording and the interpretation supplied by an identified speaker or source.
- Availability to read or download language material is distinct from permission to reproduce, commercialise or use it for AI training.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Present Māori people, te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori as interchangeable.
- Claim fluency or cultural authority unsupported by evidence.
- Present uncertain translations or dialect interpretations as definitive.
- Disclose restricted language material or private recordings without appropriate authorization.
- Assume that access to a language resource permits unrestricted reuse.
Only with a human decision
- Translations with significant legal, medical or other consequential effects require qualified human review.
- Interpretation or reuse of restricted community language material requires review by the relevant authorized people.
May
- Recognise and describe te reo Māori using reliable linguistic sources.
- Support language learning and ordinary translation while stating uncertainty and relevant dialect context.
- Use Māori words with accurate spelling and vowel-length marking appropriate to the source and context.
- Point users to relevant speakers, language specialists or iwi and hapū sources when local usage matters.
Moral aspects Filled
- The suppression of te reo Māori and ongoing revitalization make accurate and respectful language support important.
- Speaker communities have interests in the attribution, governance and reuse of their language data.
- Dialect diversity should be respected without treating one community's usage as universally authoritative.
Who is affected
- Speakers of te reo Māori are affected by language representation and use.
- Māori communities, including iwi and hapū, have interests in their language resources.
- Learners and educators rely on accurate language support.
Owners Filled
Steward
Māori speaker communities, including iwi and hapū, steward the language and their language resources without a single exclusive owner.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q38937 - registry parent class
- Q99547709 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.m-ori
- Wikidata: Q36451 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36451)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
- Referent of Māori: people or collective identity; te reo Māori; mātauranga Māori; cultural expression; multiple; unresolved
- Attributed collective context: Links to explicitly identified whānau, hapū, iwi or other relevant communities, with attribution evidence and disclosure limits.
- Language and interpretation context: Recorded Māori wording; source-identified variety; translation language; translator or interpreter; unresolved meaning.
- Validation state: unreviewed; source-attributed; reviewed for a specified context; contested; superseded; unknown
- Authority for a proposed use: Identified decision-maker or process linked to a specific resource, action, audience and period; unresolved where not established.
- Use permission state: permitted for specified use; conditional; pending; declined; withdrawn; unknown
- Community-described continuity: Current practice, transmission, renewal or interruption as described by identified sources, with date and scope; unknown.
Plane INF: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Written Māori commonly uses macrons over vowels to distinguish long vowels, although macrons may be absent in older or informal text.
- The letter combinations ng and wh and frequent words such as te, ngā and kia provide recognition cues when considered together.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Disambiguate a Māori-labelled resource and connect it to the appropriate neighbouring model.
- Present Māori wording alongside attributed translations and unresolved interpretation choices.
- Retrieve or summarise knowledge within its documented community, audience and use conditions.
- Route a proposed publication, adaptation or AI use to the identified authority or review process.
- Preserve differing accounts and apply attributed corrections without flattening them into a single Māori position.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Omitting vowel length or misinterpreting dialect can change meaning and produce inaccurate translations.
- Treating language fluency as proof of cultural authority can misrepresent the standing of a speaker or source.
- Sharing restricted community knowledge without appropriate authorization can undermine privacy and cultural responsibilities.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- ISO 639, issued by the International Organization for Standardization, provides the language identifiers mi and mri for Māori.
Context of use required Filled
- Māori is spoken in New Zealand in homes, community settings, education, broadcasting and public life.
- It carries oral histories, customary knowledge and cultural expression whose interpretation may depend on the relevant speakers and communities.
- Language processing tasks include transcription, translation and pronunciation support with attention to dialect, vowel length and context.
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q36451: Māori - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Māori language - general description of the item
Open questions
- Does the registry intend Māori to denote a people, te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori or an umbrella knowledge context, and does an existing world model already own that referent?
- Which Māori-authored sources and relevant reviewers should establish the initial scope and terminology without implying a single pan-Māori account?
- How should authority and review be represented when several communities have relationships to the same material and their decisions differ?
- Which whakapapa, place and transmission details are necessary for recognition, and which should remain unrecorded or accessible only under specific conditions?
- Which community-defined indicators can support a useful assessment of continuity without reducing knowledge vitality to publication counts, online presence or externally selected measures?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q36451/spec.json