Common Maori Words
Aroha [ˈɑːrɒhə] – refers to love, compassion, or affectionate regard.
Matariki [mātāriki] – (noun) The Seven Sisters; an open cluster of many stars in the constellation Taurus, with at least six stars visible to the naked eye. The first twinkling of these stars just before dawn at winter time (usually in late May or early June) signals the Māori New Year.
Kia Ora [ˌkiə ˈɔːrə] – (interjection) hello! cheers! good luck! best wishes! A Maori greeting wishing good health.
Whanau [ fahʹ-now] – (noun) extended family, family group, a familiar term of address to a number of people – in the modern context the term is sometimes used to include friends who may not have any kinship ties to other members.
Aotearoa [“aOtea”rOa] – (location) North Island – now used as the Māori name for New Zealand; land of the long white clouds.
Marae [məˈɹʌɪ] – (archaic) a Polynesian sacred altar or enclosure.
Haere Mai – (interjection) come here! welcome! – a greeting.
Haka [ˈhaːka] – A traditional dance of New Zealand’s Maori people.
Mana [mɑnə] – A form of supernatural energy in Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people.
Iwi – tribe (different areas are associated with different Maori tribes; for example, people from around Rotorua probably belong to the Te Arawa tribe or the Ngati Pikiao tribe).
Hangi [hāngi] – A traditional Māori method of cooking food using heated rocksburied in a pit oven.
Whakapapa [ˈɸakaˌpapa] – Genealogy, a fundamental principle of Māori culture that is critical in establishing one’s identity.
Whenua [fe-nu-wah] –(noun) land; country; ground; placenta; afterbirth.
Waka [Wāka] – (noun) boat, canoe; vehicle, conveyance; transport.
Wahine [wāhine] – (noun) women, females, ladies, wives.
Papa [pāpā] – (noun) father , dad uncle; (verb) (-ngia,-ria,-tia) to affect, strike, touch.
Koru – (noun) koru, colensoa, Colensoa physaloides – a shrubby plant found in shady areas and stream banks in Northland and on northern offshore islands. The attractive soft, dark green, large leaves are prominently veined and serrated. Deep blue, tubular flowers occur for several months from spring. The berries are also dark blue.
Kia Kaha – (interjection) A term of comfort or solace (an equivalent of the English phrase be strong, my thoughts are with you),
Tiriti o Waitangi – (noun) Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty made New Zealand a part of the British Empire, guaranteed Māori rights to their land and gave Māori the rights of British citizens.
