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 Meaning Local people, indigenous people 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
Korero
talk, stories, discussion, voice
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 Moana-nui-a-kiwa
The Pacific Ocean
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
Tuna
Eels
Tuupuna whare
Ancestral house
Tuupuna, Tiipuna
Ancestors
Also: Tūpuna, Tīpuna
Urupaa
Burial grounds
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