Even the Australians are starting to cotton on.
Of course the word for wicket is wīkiti which like so many words in the Maori language is a loan word from English. But I was just wondering that as most words in Maori are loan words (it may also be true of English of course) is Maori therefore a loan language with the European contributions being the majority of those loan words? From English of course, and academics New Zealand wide have been busy little bees making up such words for 30 years or more, but there are also very likely loan words from the Portuguese & Spanish who were clearly here before Abel Tasman visited.
Intrigued? Well here’s some more intrigue;
Many Aboriginal languages have been borrowed by main-stream Australia.
The word “kangaroo” was one of the first borrowings used by James Cook in 1770
when the ‘Endeavour’ was forced to stop for repairs in Cooktown, northern Queensland.
Other words borrowed into English are: bilby, billabong, boomerang, coolabah, dingo,
Kookaburra, koala, mulga, waratah, witchetty and yabby.
Also, well known place names: Parramatta, Woolloomooloo, Mooloolaba, Bondi, Coogee.
All of them frequently used. It is a great language, we should borrow more.