Published by one of the founders of modern Oceanic descriptive and historical linguistics, this book aims to contribute to the knowledge in fields such as Maori studies, comparative Oceanic and Polynesian linguistics, and systems of thought.

This publication of the 1992 Macmillan Brown Lectures by one of the founders of modern Oceanic descriptive and historical linguistics is a significant contribution to knowledge in several fields: Mā ori studies, comparative Oceanic and Polynesian linguistics, and systems of thought. It is also an exquisite example of the unique and wide-ranging scholarship of its author and the singular flavor of his expression.