[Aliantha]

I guess there's slightly different 'sounds' involved from area to area SG. It's definitely not exactly the 'oldie' sound, but close.

The 'dowry' rhyme sound is exactly how europeans have always pronounced the word Maori however, that's not the way Maori people pronounce it in the true cultural context. I guess it's about the accent used. Is it acceptable to use the european pronunciation? For sure. Is it preferable to try and use the correct pronunciation? Well that's up to the individual and what significance they place on culture along with their ability to actually pronounce it I guess. Plenty of people go to France and don't get the accent right regardless of how hard they try, so it's also a cultural fact that in some cases, it's almost impossible for some people to adopt the correct accent. I think it's important to try though.