Maori Glossary
A
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!
H
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
I
ia – he/she
ingoa - name
irirangi – radio
iwi - a tribe or a people
K
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
M
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
N
ne – eh!
nei – here
nga – the (plural)
Nga Korero o te Wa - name of programme
nui – big
O
o – of
ora – alive, well
P
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
R
ra – day, date, sun
rangatira – chief
rangatiratanga – chieftainship, kingdom, principality
reira – there
reo – language
rohe – area, district
ropu – group
rua – two
runanga – council
T
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
U
uaua – difficult
urupa – cemetery, graveyard
W
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