Te Reo Māori, as used in the Earthcore series Pronunciation guide: Each vowel has only one possible sound. a as in far e as in fetch i as in feed o as in fog u as in food When two vowels come together, a dipthong is created. Every syllable ends with a vowel. A macron such as ā indicates a longer vowel. “Wh” can either be an “f” sound or more like the English equivalent. “Ng” is as you’d expect except that we also use it at the beginnings of words. Examples: Whakarewarewa: fa-ka-reh-wa-reh-wa Ngongotaha: ngo-ngo-ta-ha ae aye, yes e hoa ma my friends (addressing them) Hinemoa and Tūtānekai historical inhabitants of Rotorua hongi greeting in which foreheads are pressed together, to share breath iwi tribe ka pai good! kai food kaikaranga person who sings or answers the welcome in a formal ceremony kaitiaki guardian kapa haka Māori group-dance performance karanga a call or chant, especially of welcome kaumātua elder kei te pēhea koe? how are you? kererū wood pigeon kia ora hello / thank you kia tere hurry up kino bad Kiwi A New Zealander, after a native bird koro grandfather / elder koru fern frond, symbol of new life kuia grandmother / elder Kuirau central city park in Rotorua kūmara sweet potato, in gold, orange, red or purple varieties mana personal or spiritual power manaia a mythical guardian that lives in water; a dragon with a bird's head and a human body mānuka the New Zealand tea tree, known for its medicinal honey Māori the original people of New Zealand Māoritanga Māori culture, history and protocol/etiquette marae the centre of a Māori community; communal buildings around an open area Matamata town north of Rotorua, home of Hobbiton outdoor film set moa tall, flightless extinct bird mokopuna (“moko”) grandchild, young person Mokoia island in Lake Rotorua ngā mihi thanks Ngongotaha dormant volcanic mountain to the west of Lake Rotorua Ohinemutu Māori village within Rotorua (central), a highly active thermal area Owhata eastern suburb of Rotorua pakaru broken, exhausted Pākeha non-Māori person Papatūānuku the Earth Mother piupiu flax skirt Pōhutu geyser in Rotorua that erupts about once per hour pōwhiri formal Māori welcoming ceremony pūkeko blue swamp hen Rangitoto largest volcano in the Auckland area Rotorua City built in a geothermally active caldera Tāmaki Makaurau Māori name for Auckland tangata person / people tangata whenua people of the land (local tribe) taniwha spirit being, mythological creature tapu sacred, taboo Tarawera volcano near Rotorua that erupted in 1886 Te Arawa Māori tribe of the Rotorua area Te Ngae a main road in Rotorua Te Reo the Māori language tēnā koe/kōrua/koutou hello to you (singular/dual/plural) tēnei / tērā this / that tieke saddleback (bird) tohunga Māori priest tūī songbird with two voiceboxes Utuhina stream entering Lake Rotorua from the southwest Waimangu the volcanic valley forming part of the Tarawera eruption rift wero challenge laid down by a host; must be accepted by a visitor before a pōwhiri can begin. To accept is to declare that your group comes in peace. To refuse is to declare yourself an enemy. Whakarewarewa Māori village within Rotorua (south), a highly active thermal area Whakatāne town on the Bay of Plenty coast to the northeast of Rotorua whakatau less formal type of welcoming ceremony wharekai dining hall of a marae wharenui meeting house of a marae, where guests sleep wiri fluttering hand movement used in dance |