A Maori language translator says his recent work with the Embassy of Brazil, to produce a publication about their indigenous population, meant he had to be creative and invent some new words.
Nga Kupu No Parihi 19 - Texts From Brazil 19 - was launched this week by the embassy and translated into Maori by Ratu Tibble of Ngati Porou.
The book contains a glossary of Maori translations that are specific to Brazil.
But Ratu Tibble says he came across English words that didn't have a Maori equivalent.
He says an example is the word "assimilate", and although he did find a match for the word in Maori, it didn't have the right context.
Mr Tibble says like most translators he uses online Maori dictionaries but it's about choosing the right word that suits the mood, and if it doesn't he says he has to create something that fits.
He says it was an interesting exercise because he had to think of words from a tangata whenua perspective while still retaining the integrity of the writer.
Mr Tibble says he enjoyed working with the Embassy of Brazil and started to become more curious about the indigenous people of the Latin American country.
