Fijian Language

Unofficial Members of Council Dislike Government's New Spelling Style

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva. Nov. 26.

THE use of so-called phonetic spelling in Government documents and publica tions when Fijian words appear, instead of the old method adopted by the early mis sionaries when they committed the lan guage to writing, gave rise to a lengthy debate at the last session of the Legisla tive Council.

The senior elected member, Sir Maynard Hedstrom, moved a motion that in the opinion of the unofficial members of the Council, the Government’s action in alter ing the spelling of Fijian words, contrary to the wishes of the Legislative Council (vide L.C. debates 1933) was an arbitrary and improper infringement of the Coun cil’s rights.

Sir Maynard spcke at length on the foundations of the language. He told how the missionaries had found that such sounds as the soft “th” and “mb,” “nd,” and “ngg” occurred so often in Fijian, and how they therefore adopted letters of the English alphabet which were not sounded in Fijian, to represent them. For instance, “c” represents “th,” while “b” and “d” always have the “m” and “n” sounded before them. There is no “q” sound in Fijian, therefore it was adopted to repre sent the sound of “ngg,” as in the name of the island of Beqa—or as the new spelling has it, Mbengga.

Sir Maynard held that the form of spell ing now adopted was by no means phonetic,

and said that the most the late Governor had intended was that the names in maps and documents circulating outside the colony should have some form of phonetic spelling. When the question had been de bated in 1933, Sir Murchison Fletcher had undertaken to appoint a committee to select the documents in which the so-called phonetic spelling should be used.

In 1934 an administrative order was given that the phonetic spelling should be adopted in certain documents, and Sir Maynard said he could not understand why it was that this had only recently been put into operation. He knew that his present motion as worded would not be accepted, but the unofficial members of the Council wished to have their views placed on record and before the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Other unofficial members supported Sir Maynard, and Ratu J. L. V. Sukuna, an erudite native member of the Council, was wholly in support of the old method of spelling. He remarked that with the new system many Fijians were beginning to wonder how their names should be spelt.

The Chief quoted the case of a recently deceased chief, Ratu Waqanivavalagi; with ? the so-called phonetic spelling, this would be Wangganivavalangi which, he sug gested, was neither convenient nor nice to look at.

The Acting Governor said that he had found a report from a committee on the spelling of the Fijian language and certain recommendations. He found that the orders of Sir Murchison Fletcher were not being carried out and gave instructions that they should be. He refused to counter mand the order of the late Governor, but would report on the subject to the Secre tary of State. He promised to send also a copy of the debate and a memorandum on the matter by Mr. G. Kingsley Roth, a former District Commissioner.

At present the matter rests there, but

there is a large body of local public opin ion against the change to the new .system of spelling. The local press continues to use the old style; while, of course, the Fiji Royal Gazette religiously spells Cakobau as Thakombau, etc.

Mr. and Mrs. Frith, of Jervis Island, Torres Strait, will leave their little island at the end of December for a furlough in Australia.