te Ao Māori the world of Māori
te Ao Pākehā the world of Europeans
atua deity
aukati boundary marking a restricted area
haere mai welcome
haka taua war dance
hākari feast
hāngī earth oven, food cooked in earth oven
hapū subtribe
hui meeting(s), gathering(s)
hongi a pressing of noses in greeting
hūpē mucus
iwi tribe
Ka whawhai ahau tonu ake I will fight forever.
kaikaranga the woman who makes the ceremonial call to visitors on the marae
kaimoana seafood
kaumātua an elder, a person of high status
Kei te pēhea tōu mahi? How is your work?
kete basket
kīngitanga king movement
koura crayfish
kuia elderly woman
kumārahou a native shrub
kōrero talk
korowai ornamental cloak
Ko te tāngata It is people (from the last lines of a whakataukī: If you were to ask me, ‘What is the most
important thing in this world?’ my answer is, ‘It is people.’)
kūmara sweet potato
kūpapa collaborator
mana authority, prestige
manuhiri visitors
manuka a tree native to New Zealand
marae buildings and courtyard that make up the meeting place
matua father, uncle, or respectful way of addressing a man
maunga mountain(s)
mere a short, flat, hand-held weapon
mihi greeting
mokopuna grandchildren
muka flax fibre
nau mai welcome
nīkau a native palm tree
pā fortified village
pai good
Pākehā European(s)
patītī short-handled axe
pepeha saying of ancestors, tribal identity
pounamu greenstone, jade
pōwhiri ceremonial welcome
rangatira chief
raupatu confiscation
raupō bulrush
Rohe Pōtae King Country (literally District of the Hat)
rūnanga tribal council
rōpū group of people
tā moko facial tattoo
taiaha fighting staff
tama son, boy, nephew
tamariki children
tangata whenua people of the marae
tangihanga (or tangi) funeral
tātarakihi (also Kihikihi) cicadas
tauiwi foreigner
Te Ngutu o te Manu the beak of the bird, The name of Titokowaru’s pā
te reo the (Māori) language
tēnā koe hello
tīpuna ancestors
toa warrior, champion
toetoe native, pampas-like grass
tohu a sign
tokotoko walking stick
tuāhine sister (of a male)
tūpara double barrel shot gun
utu revenge, retribution
wāhine woman
waiata n. song, v. sing
wairua spirit
waka canoe
whaea mother, aunt
whakapapa genealogy
whakataukī proverb
whānau extended family
whāngai adopted child
Whanganui-a-Tara the Māori name for Wellington
whare house(s)
whare kai kitchen, dining room
whare karakia church, house of prayer
wharekura house of learning
wharenui meeting house, large house