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

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

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?