Maori Glossary

a – indicates possession

ae- yes

anei – here is (here you go)

ao - world

Aotearoa - New Zealand

aroha –love

Atairangi – Maori Queen (Te Arikinui Te Atairangi Kahu)

atea – see marae atea

aue – alas!

haere – come, go

haere mai - welcome

haka - war dance

hakari – feast

hangi - food cooked by heated stones in an earth oven

hapu – sub-tribe, pregnant

kei hea – where

he aha - what is

hei konei, hei kona – goodbye

Hoani Waititi - famous Auckland leader, name of a school

hoe - paddling (as in canoe)

hoha - annoyed, bored

hou – new

hui – meeting

Hui - name of a television programme

ia – he/she

ingoa - name

irirangi – radio

iwi - a tribe or a people

Ka Awatea – name of a government report

Ka + verb – denotes commencement of a new action

kaha – strong, strength

kai - food

kaiarahi reo - Maori language teacher

kaimoana - seafood

kao - no

kaore – no,not

ka pai – okay, good, well done

karakia - prayers

karanga - welcoming call

karere – messenger

Te Karere – name of television programme

katoa – all, every

kaumatua – elder

kaupapa – topic, matter

kauri – type of tree

kea – type of bird

kei – in, at, on, with

kei konei - here

kei te pai - all right, that's good

ki – to, into

kia – so that

kia ora - literally "your health", i.e. hello, thank you

kia ora tatou - a greeting (hello/thank you everyone)

kiwi –New Zealander, characteristic of or pertaining to New Zealanders

ko – used before definite article

koe – you

kohanga – nest

kohanga reo – language nest

kona – there (near you)

konei - here

korero – discuss, talk, speak, communication

koroua – old man

Ko te take – the reason

koutou – you (two or more)

kuia - old woman

kumara – plant, sweet potato

kura - school

kura kaupapa (Maori) – total immersion Maori primary school

mahi – work

mai – towards me (the speaker)

mana - authority, control, prestige, power

Mana Motuhake - name of a Maori political party

manuka – type of tree

Maori – language, people

Maoritanga – Maori culture

marae - Maori meeting complex

marae atea - space in front of the meeting house

mo – for, about

moana – sea, ocean

moko - for mokopuna, grandchild

mokopuna – grandchild

moumou – waste

ne – eh!

nei – here

nga – the (plural)

Nga Korero o te Wa - name of programme

nui – big

o – of

ora – alive, well

pa – touch, fortified village

pai – good, to like

pakeha - New Zealander of European descent, English language

paua – type of shellfish

pehea – how?

penei – like this

pipi – type of shellfish

pirangi – want, desire

pohutukawa – type of tree

poi – swinging ball (used in poi dance)

Te Puni Kokiri - Ministry of Maori Development

ra – day, date, sun

rangatira – chief

rangatiratanga – chieftainship, kingdom, principality

reira – there

reo – language

rohe – area, district

ropu – group

rua – two

runanga – council

ta - of

taku – mine, my (singular)

Tamaki Makaurau - Auckland

tamariki – children

te tangata - person

nga tangata - people

tangata whenua – people of the land, indigenous people

tangi – funeral

taniwha – Maori legendary water creature

taonga - treasure (possibly plural)

tapu – sacred

tau – year

taurima – hosting visitors, host

tautoko - support

te - the

tenei – this

te reo - Maori language, voice

te reo Maori - the Maori language

Te Reo o Aotearoa - name of programme

Te Upoko o te Ika - Wellington

Te Upoko o te Ika - name of radio station

tikanga – custom

tino - very

tino rangatira - for "tino rangatiratanga"

tino rangatiratanga - sovereignty

tipuna – ancestors

toa – warrior, brave

toitoi – type of plant

tuatara – type of lizard

tupuna - ancestors

uaua – difficult

urupa – cemetery, graveyard

wa – time, period

wahine – woman

wahine – women

waiata – song

wairua – spirit

waka – canoe

wananga – learning, conference

weta – type of insect

whakapapa - heritage, genealogy

whakarongo - listen

whanau - family

whare – house

wharenui – meeting house

whenua – ground, land

Whitireia – name of the local polytechnic