PLACE NAMES

Maori Place Names

As many Maori place names possess either historical or
mythological significance, it is usually misleading to guess
at their meanings merely by translating the component parts.
Notwithstanding this limitation, Maori place names fall into
seven broad groupings: (a) Names bestowed by the early
Polynesian voyagers to New Zealand or commemorating incidents
in their visits; (b) traditional names deriving from Hawaiki
– the legendary Maori homeland – or commemorating mythical
personages; (c) names commemorating places or incidents
during the migration or historical incidents since; (d) names
that are descriptive of the places or features they
represent; (e) names that are Maori versions of European
names or words; (f) names bestowed, officially or
unofficially, in European times to commemorate some Maori
chief or an incident in the locality; and (g) careless
European contractions of original Maori names. In this
connection it may be noted that the Maoris themselves often
contracted their place names.

(a) Names Deriving from the Early Voyagers

According to tradition, the early Maori voyagers, Kupe,
Ngahue, and Toi, named many of New Zealand's coastal
features. Examples of such names are Taonui-o-Kupe (now Cape
Jackson) and Te Mana-o-Kupe-ki-Aotearoa, which has been
contracted to Mana. Motu-Kairangi, the old Maori name for
Miramar, and Whanga-nui-a-Tara both date from the Toi
migration.

(b) Names from Hawaiki and Polynesian
Mythology

A few Maori names of places in Hawaiki have survived. Two
of these are Maketu, in the Bay of Plenty, and Mount Moehau,
a small peak in the Coromandel Range. Names connected with
Polynesian mythology are more plentiful. Among these may be
cited Aorangi (Mount Cook) and the various versions and
attributes of Tane, the forest god; for instance, Otane and
Taneatua. Mythical persons are represented by Maui in Te
Ika-a-Maui, the Maori name for the North Island.

(c) Places and Incidents During the Migration and
Historical Incidents

The ports of call of the canoes of the so-called Great
Migration have often been commemorated in New Zealand
landmarks. Examples of these are Raratoka (Rarotonga) and
Tawhiti (Tahiti), while Taiporohenui, near Hawera, is the
name of a place in Tahiti. The name Whakatane commemorates an
incident during the landing of the Mataatua canoe,
and Nga Rangi-e-toto-ia-a-Tamate Kapua, “the days that Tamate
Kapua bled”, is now shortened to Rangitoto. Maori names
commemorating historical incidents are quite common, although
their significance has often been forgotten. Some of these
incidents were extremely mundane and it is unwise to probe
too deeply into meanings. Examples of these are
Taupo-nui-a-Tia (now shortened to Taupo), Rukumoana, Urewera,
Ngongotaha, and Tikitapu.

(d) Descriptive Names

These are often extremely fanciful allusions to the place
or feature described. Certain components appear in many names
of this class, and those recurring most frequently are set
out as follows:

Maori Prefix/Suffix

Meaning

Common Examples

Ara

path, road

Aratiki, Aranui, Arapuni, Arapito

Awa

river, valley

Awapuni, Awanui, Awamangu, Awakino

Manga, Ma

stream

Mangaweka, Manganui, Mangahuia, Makauri, Makikihi,
Makerikeri

Maunga

mountain

Maunganui, Maungatautari Maungataniwha

Moana

sea, large lake

Te Moana, Moanataiari, Waikaremoana

Motu

island, isolated bush clump

Motueka, Motupipi, Motuhora, Motutapu, Ngamotu

Papa

flat, open, level area

Papatoetoe, Papamoa, Papanui

Puke

hill

Puketitiri, Pukemiro, Pukeatua, Pukerua, Ruapuke

Puna

spring of water

Te Puna, Punakitere, Punakaiki

Roto

lake

Rotorua, Rotoaira, Rotokawa

Wai

water

Wainui, Wairoa, Waikato

Whanga

bay, bight, stretch of water

Whanganui, Whangaehu

In addition to these, the prefix “O” usually indicates
that the name is an attribute of, or “belongs” to a person,
while “Te” usually indicates that the word following is
descriptive; for example, Te Akau and Te Iwituaroa.

(e) Maori Versions of European Names

Names of this group often appear quaint to Europeans'
ears. Hiruharama (Jerusalem), Petane (Bethany), and Hamaria
(Samaria) are of Biblical origin, while Ranana (London),
Atene (Athens), and Karaponia (California) represent foreign
places. The Apitihama (Opposition) block and Winiata
(Wynyard) are Maori adaptations of other European words.
Poneke is the Maori corruption of Port Nicholson.

(f) Recent Maori Names

These have been bestowed in recent years to commemorate
some Maori chief associated with a district, or some
historical incident. Waharoa is named after the celebrated
Ngati Haua chief, Te Waharoa, while Hongi's Track
commemorates Hongi Hika's Rotorua expedition. Unofficial
examples of this type are: Te turu-o-te-Maki, “Mackay's
stool”, in Marlborough, and Te Kooti's Clearing, near Te
Wera, in the Urewera Country. More recently, Maori words,
especially the names of native flora, have proved popular as
street names.

(g) Careless European Usage

Early colonists often experienced difficulty in mastering
the intricacies of spoken Maori. As a result of this and
careless pronunciations, many Maori place names have passed
into current usage in corrupt forms, such as Amuri (Haumuri),
Petone (Pito-one), Mangahao (Mangahou), and “The Nunneries”
(Te Nganaire).

The Story

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How to cite this page: . 'Maori Place Names', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 22-Apr-09URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/place-names/page-2