Māori place names across Aotearoa reveal fascinating insights to NZ history, the features of landmarks, along with important tribal stories and traditions. By knowing a selection of Māori kupu (words) you can better deduce their meanings. Here are around 80 helpful Māori words and examples to help inform your travels.
A
Aka: harbour in the South Island dialect (in the North Island, harbour is whanga)
eg. Akaroa
Ahu: mound, to heap up
eg. Ahuroa
Ana: cave
eg. Anatoki
Ao: cloud
eg. Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud)
Ara: path
eg. Arahura, Aramiro
Awa: river
eg. Awahou, Awaiti, Awatuna
H
Hau: wind (also other meanings)
eg. Haumoana, Hautere
Horo: landslip, or to run
eg. Horowhenua, Horotiu
Huka: foam, snow, or froth
eg. Huka Falls, Hukarere
I
Ika: fish
eg. Ikamatua
Iwi: bone
eg. Iwikatea
K
Kahu: the colour blue, or a garment. Not to be mistaken with kāhu, the Australian harrier hawk (Circus approximans gouldi).
eg. Kahurangi National Park
Kai: bite, eat, food.
eg. Kaituna, Kaikōura, Kaitāia
Kāinga: home, residence
Kete: basket usually made of harakeke (flax)
eg. Ketemarae
Kōpua: deep pool
eg. Kōpuawhara
Kōura: crayfish, lobster
eg. Kaikoura
M
Mā: the colour white, or a stream
eg. Mākatote (stream of tree ferns)
Manawa: heart
eg. Manawatū
Mānia: plain
eg. Māniatoto
Manu: bird
eg. Manurewa
Manga: stream
eg. Mangaweka
Marae: traditional Māori meeting house, courtyard or meeting ground
eg. Maraeroa, Maraeweka
Pictured: the marae (meeting house) at Waitangi. It is customary to leave your shoes outside before stepping foot into a marae. ©Tourist Class Travel
Mataī: black pine (Prumnopitys taxifolia), a native tree
eg. Mataīnui
Mata: headland
eg. Matarawa, Mataroa
Maunga: mountain
eg. Maungahara
Moa: an extinct, flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand.
eg. Moa Flat, Moawhango
Moana: ocean
eg. Aramoana, Moana-a-Toi
Moe: to sleep
eg. Moeraki, Moehau
©Tourist Class Travel
Motu: Island, or clump of trees
eg. Motutara, Motunui
Mutu: cut short, end
eg. Te Awamutu
Ng
Ngahere: forest, bush
Ngā: the (plural form)
eg. Ngāmotu, Ngāwaka
Nui: big, plentiful
O
Ō or O: ‘place of’ or ‘belonging to’
eg. Ōaonui (the place of a large cloud)
Ora: good, well, safe
eg. Rangiora
One: beach, sand
eg. Onepoto
P
Pā: a fortified Māori village
Pae: ridge, step or bird-snare
eg. Paeroa
Papa: flat land, earth
eg. Papamoa, Papakura
Para: fern, often King fern (Marattia salicina). Also other meanings.
eg. Paramata, Paranui, Waipara
Pari: cliff
eg. Pariroa
Pipi: an edible shellfish (Paphies australis)
eg. Pipriki
Pō: darkness, night
eg. Pōnui, Takapō
Puke: hill
eg. Te Puke, Pukehiki
Pupū: to bubble up, rise
eg. Te Waikoropupū springs
R
Raki, Rangi: sky. Raki is the South Island form, whereas rangi is the North Island form.
eg. Aoraki, Rangitoto
Rimu: red pine, a native tree (Dacrydium cupressinum). Rimu or rimurimu is also a general term for seaweed.
Rere: to fly, flow, or a waterfall.
Roa: (adj) long
eg. Whangaroa, Akaroa
Roto: lake
eg. Rotomanu, Rotorua
Rua: the number 2, or a hole
eg. Ruatoki, Ruapehu
Ruru: Morepork owl (Ninox novaeseelandiae)
T
Tai: tide
eg. Tairua, Taitimu
Taki: South Island form of ‘sound’
Tangi: to weep, or North Island form of ‘sound’
eg. Tangiwai
Taniwha: a powerful water monster, guardian and/or spirit
Tapu: sacred
eg. Waitapu, Tikitapu
Tara: thorn, peak or seabird
eg. Motutara, Tarakai
Tahi: the number 1
eg. Taratahi
Te: the (singular form, as opposed to ngā used for plural nouns)
eg. Te Araroa, Te Horo
Toka: rock
eg. Tokaroa
Toki: adze
eg. Anatoki
Tū: to stand
eg. Manawatū, Tūrangi
Tuna: eel
eg. Kaituna, Waituna
W
Wai: water
eg. Waikawa, Waimate, Waiora
Waka: a canoe
eg. Waiwaka, Wakanui
Weka: a native wood hen
eg. Mangaweka, Motu(w)eka
Wera: hot, or burnt
eg. Waiwera, Weraroa
Wh
Whanga: harbour
eg. Whanganui, Whangarei
Whenua: land
eg. Horowhenua, uruwhenua
Whana: to rush
eg. Whananaki
Whare: house
eg. Wharekauri, Wharepapa
Whero: (adj) red
Helpful resources
Want to learn more Te Reo Māori? I highly recommend the following:
- The helpful Māori Dictionary (also available as an app)
- TŌKU REO is a free online learning tool for te reo Māori with examples and quizzes
- Maori Place Names: Their Meanings and Origins by A.W. Reed is an awesome book keep in your car/camper as a reference
More Posts: - How well do you know Dunedin’s strangest place-names?
- Travelling the South Island without a car: all you need to know
- 5 crazy facts about Rakiura/Stewart Island
- Do you know your Kiwi etiquette?
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