Glossary

Kuputaka

Explanations of special terms and phrases

Macrons and double vowels in te reo Maaori

Wondering why we spell words like whaanau instead of whānau?

For te reo Maaori, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery uses double vowels (uu) in place of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is the preference of in Kirikiriroa Hamilton and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words.

Artists’ titles are shown in their original form, as are organisation names originating from outside of the Waikato-Tainui iwi.

Aangi

Air

Ahi

Fire

Ahi Kaa

People who kept the home fires burning

Aho

Weft

Angiangi, Taupata

 Large native shrub - Coprosma repens

Aotearoa

New Zealand

Aroha

Love, sympathy, compassion

Atua

God/gods

Atua tāne

Male maaori gods

Atua wāhine

Maaori goddesses

Aute

Paper mulberry bark - Broussonetia papyrifera

Awa

River

Awhi

Support

Hakari

Feast

Hapuu

Subtribe, kinship group

Harakeke

Flax plant, native to Aotearoa New Zealand
Scientific name: Phormium tenax

Hau

Wind

Hei

 Neck ornament

Hine Wai

Female deity of water

Hine-nui-i-te-pō

 Maaori goddess of night

Hine-te-iwaiwa

The spiritual guardian of weaving

Hinengaro

Mind

Hineputehue

 Maaori goddess of peace

Hono

Joins

Horoeka

Lancewood - Pseudopanax crassifolius

Houhere

Lacebark

Houhī

South Island - Hoheria populena

Huaki paepaeroa

Intricately woven cloak

Hue

Gourd or calabash - Lagenaria siceraria

Hue

Gourd

Huruhuru kaakaa

Parrot feathers

Huruhuru manu

Bird feathers

Inanga

Grass tree or bamboo - Dracophyllum longifolium

Iwi

Tribe

Kaahu

Hawk

Kaakaa

Native bush parrot

Kaakahu

Garment or clothing

Kaanga

Corn - Zea mays

Kaha

Strength

Kahikatea

White pine - Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

Kahu

Cloak

Kahu huruhuru

Feathered cloak

Kahu muka

Garment or clothing made from Phormium tenax fibre

Kai

Food

Kaikoorero

The speaker or narrator

Kairangahau Kaupapa Maori

Researcher

Kairaranga

Weaver

Kaitiakitanga

Guardianship of the sky, the sea, and the land.

Kaiwhatu

Cloak weaver

Kanono, Manono, Raureekau

Large-leaved coprosma - Coprosma grandifolia

Karo

Pittosporum crassifolium

Kaumaatua

An elder in Maaori society. A person of status.

Also: kaumātua

Kaupapa

Main body of the cloak

Kereruu, Kuukupa

Wood pigeon

Kete

Bag or basket

Kete kai

Food gathering basket

Kiekie

Freycinetia banksii

Kiekie

Freycinetia banksii

Kirikuri

Dog-skin

Koohatu

Stone

Kooiwi

Bones

Kookoowai

Red ochre

Koorari

Phormium tenax leaf and/or its flower

Koorari

Flax plant, native to Aotearoa New Zealand
Scientific name: Phormium tenax

Also known as harakeke

Koowhai, Kano kōhai

Sophora microphylla

Koowhiti whakapae

Horizontal cross stitch

koowhiuwhiu

A fan

Kotahitanga

Unity

Kuaka

Bar-tailed godwit

Kuia

Female ancestor

Kumete

Wooden vessel

Kupenga

Net

Kuutaa, Ngawha

Spike rush - Eleocharis sphacelata

Kuutai

Mussel

Maanatu

Ribbonwood - Plagianthus regius

Maanuka

Teatree - Leptospermum scoparium

Maatauranga

Māori knowledge

Maawhitiwhiti

Cross over pattern

Mahi

Work

Mahi toi

Artmaking

Mahuika

Maaori goddess of fire.

Mana

Prestige, authority, importance, power

Manu

Bird, birds. Birdlife.

Marae

Open area in front of the main meeting house

Maro

Short loin cloth or apron

Matairangi

Pennant

Matariki

Star cluster Pleiades

Mātauranga wāhine

Feminine knowledge.

Mau taringa

Earrings

Maui

Māui is the great trickster demi-god of Polynesian mythology. 

Maumahara

Remember

Maunga, Mauka

Mountain

Miikoikoi

Native iris - Libertia ixioides L.grandiflora

Miro

Twine

Moana

Ocean

Moemoea

Dream

Mokemoke

Loneliness

Mokopuna

Descendant, grandchildren, grandchild.

Motu

Country

Muka

Fibre extracted from harakeke (flax leaves)

Also known as: whiitau / whītau

Neinei

Grass tree, spiderwood is also a mountain variety - Dracophyllum latifolium

Ngā puta

The holes

Nga whetuu

The stars

Ngahere

Forest

Onematua

Fertile soil

Paa

Home

May be used to refer to a defensive settlement or hillfort

Also: pā

Paa harakeke

Flax gardens

Paakee

Cape

Paakee rere ua

Rain cape

Paatikitiki

Flounder, flat fish pattern

Paaua

Abalone shell - Haliotis

Papa

Panels

Papatūānuku

Earth mother

Patu

Hand weapon, club

Pepeha

Tribal identifier

Piingao

Golden sand sedge - Ficinia spiralis

Pirita, Kareao, Karewao

Supplejack - Ripogonum scandens

Piupiu

Garment made of harakeke flax, worn from waist to knee

Piwakawaka

Fantail

Poi

Light ball on a string used in song and dance and in healing

Pookinikini

Rolled Phormium tenax tags

Pootae

Hat

Pou

Posts

Pouako, Kaiako

Teacher

Pouri

Sadness

Poutama

Step pattern

Puareare

Pattern of woven holes

Purapura whetuu

Pattern representing stars

Puuraakau

Stories

Puuraakau

Customary stories

Raa

The sun

Raa, Koomaru, Heera, Raa whara

Sail of a waka/canoe

Raakau

Tree, wood

Ranginui

Sky father, primordial parent

Raranga

Weaving

Raranga whatu

Traditional weaving

Rau

Leaves

Rauemi

Natural Maaori materials

Raupoo

Bulrush - Typha orientalis

Raureekau, Manono, Kanono

 Bark used to produce yellow - Coprosma grandifolia

Reo

Language

Repo

Swamp, marsh

Rimurapa

Large seaweed, bull kelp

Rimurimu

Seaweed

Roopu

Group or organisation

Ruru

Small owl native to Aotearoa New Zealand. Also called: morepork, Ninox novaeseelandiae.

Ruuruhi

Elderly women who hold weaving knowledge

Taahei

Neck adornment

Taakahee

Native bird

Taane-nui-a-rangi

God of the forest, birds and mankind

Taanekaha

Celery pine tree-bark used to produce warm brown - Phyllocladus trichomanoides

Taaniko

Weft twined geometrical design and the finger twining technique

Taapiki

Single lock off

Taatua

Belt

Taawhirimaatea

God of wind and storms

Tae paakehaa

Commercial dye

Taiao

Environment

Takaore

A loop at the corner of a sail to which a line is attached. Referred to as 'cringles' in sailing.

Takiwaa

Tribal areas

Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Auckland Museum

Tangaroa

God of all bodies of water

Tangata whenua

Local people, indigenous people

Taniwha

A supernatural creature, generally located in lakes, rivers or the sea. Often regarded as guardians by the people who live in their territory.

Taonga

Treasure, anything prized

Taonga Puuoro

Traditional Maaori musical instruments

Also: taonga pūoro

Taratara

Spikes

Tauira

Student

Tauiwi, Paakehaa

Non-Maaori

Tāwhaki

Tāwhaki is a semi-supernatural being associated with lightning and thunder.

Te Karanga o Te Rā

The Call of Te Rā

Te koroi

Fruit or cone of the kahikatea - Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

Te Poo

The night, the darkness

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Treaty of Waitangi

Te whare pora

House of weaving

Tii koouka

Cabbage tree - Cordyline australis

Tikanga

Reason, meaning, right way of doing things, custom

Tikumu

Mountain daisy - Celmisia semcordata

Tinana

Body

Toatoa

Celery pine - Phyllocladus toatoa

Tohunga kaikoorero

Expert speaker, the holder of stories 

Also: tohunga kaikōrero

Tohunga raranga

Expert weaver

Toi

Art, knowledge

Tooroa

Albatross

Tuakana

Elder

Tuapuku

Round cord plaited with four strands

Tuatara

Native reptile

Tuatara

A species of reptile endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand

Tui

Parson bird

Tukutuku

Patterns formed on horizontal battens using cross stitching

Tuupuna whare

Ancestral house

Tuupuna, Tiipuna

Ancestors

Also: Tūpuna, Tīpuna

Waananga

A gathering for instruction or tuition

Wahine, Waahine

Woman, women

Wai

Water

Wairua

Spirit

Waka

Canoe

Wero

Challenge

Whaanau

Family

Whaariki

Mat

Whakairo

Carving

Whakapapa

Ancestry or family lineage

Whakapapa of taonga tūturu

The lineage of our treasures

Whakapuuareare

To make holes

Whakawhanaungatanga

The process of establishing relationship and links with others

Whare

Building, house

Wharekai

Dining hall

Wharenui

Ancestral house

Whatu

Hand twisted single weave-weft

Whatu aho rua

Double weft twining

Whatu kākahu

Garments

Whatu patahi

Single-pair weft-twining

Whenu

Hand twisted single strand lengthwise or warp

Whenua

Land, earth, placenta

Whetuu

Star

Wheua kekeno

Seal bone

Whiitau / whītau

Fibre extracted from harakeke (flax leaves)

Also known as: muka

Whiri

To twist, plait, spin or weave

Ōtautahi

Christchurch

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