I Brougham (The Weekend Sun, September 22) believes that academics have murdered the Maori language, and he wants to persuade us that the Maori language cannot be correctly translated into English, even though we know that Maori is being used and understood throughout New Zealand every day on television and radio, and in universities, schools, kohanga reo, and marae. All languages change over time and include new words. Academics are the servants of this change. They do not control it. Te Reo Maori is a treasure so beautiful that it must surely survive and flourish. I Brougham should learn to speak it before he belittles it any further.

P Dey, Welcome Bay (Abridged).