THE "HUIA-EATERS."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 955, 24 October 1910, Page 7

THE " HUIA-EATERS."

v ——— *y —-r'•'KAIHUA" OR "KAIHUIA"? According to a correspondent, who describes himself as "A Descendant of the Huia-eaters," the Major's' translation of the Maori word "kaihuia," which has excited , some controversy, appears to-have been correct. Says the wjiter :—"The word 'kaihua,' referred to by 'Quidnunc,' is quite a different word, and is wrongly translated by him, when ho states that, the word' means 'cabbage tree,' that is : 'ti-tree' or 'whanake.' His explanation is a contradiction in itself, and betrays the pakeha, especially in the use -of the hyphen. The meaning of 'kaihua' is a food- orop or food supply of fruit or berries, and the particular idiom conveyed by. the word to Maori ears'carries the idea that the crop of food is for human Under no possible stretch of etymological interpretation could a cabbage tree bo designated by the word 'kaihua.' The names of that inoffensive member of the 'cordyleiies' aro 'ti' (without any hyphened attachment), 'whanake,' 'kouka,' and in some ' districts 'mauku.' Tho word 'kaihua' appears frequently in that famous speech of the late Hono Heke, delivered on the capture of tho Maika. flagstaff in the Bay of Islands, and is a favourite word of King Mahuta and Mr. Heuare Kaihau, M.P., when referring to tho gastronomic valuo of the flora of the Dominion. 'Quidnunc' appears to have suffered from some optical defect, and as a result missed the 'i' in 'kaihuia.' One error led to another, and he went on to erroneously explain a totally different word.. In conclusion, we can only say 'Quidnunc'" Another correspondent, Mr. J. Morgan, who expresses the opinion that it is erroneous to attribute "kaihuia" to the cabbage treo, states that "tho meaning of 'whanako' is also given as 'steam, or 'to move upwards.' As the cabbage tree is a vory quickly-growing tree,' perhaps it got its name from tho habit of 'moving upwards liko steam.' Possibly also the nikau came to have the name 'kaihuia' from the fact that the huia was ospccially fond , of . the honey found there, in the samo way that the tui is fond of tho honey of tho harakeke or New Zoaland flax plant, but these aro only tho conjectures of a novice."