Long Maori Names

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21112, 4 June 1943, Page 4

Long Maori Names

Sir. —Regarding the long Maori place-name which appeared in the Herald on May.-3, may I- point out that of the two- translations .supplied: --The hill upon which Tanenuiarangi sat and played, the tiute to his ladylove” is quite correct: Whoever gave it • must have been well acquainted with the historical associations, of the place, whilst the other translator, apparently" did not arid consequently guessed wrongly. • Hence ir is egSen-' tial to learn the history Of a place, before attempting td'derive its mean'-'-ing: Furthermore;' this .particular name is'‘ composed -of several words jollied together"and l ' should never' have -beCn ' vW-itteri’’ vHthfhtt. f-hyplidrisi between the component parts. . Thus,' Tatimata - : iVhakatahgiha'ng&'-kOauali-o.: Tanenularangi-'ki-tond-ta'hus eatC .read/-, Ry: 1 be 'translated-t word for fi-tne :‘.plac'e: bwhureAvas irplayddsthb.(flute: - oi.^Tanenuiaran'gi-to-h'is-kidy-. love; ‘. • Ik'J-e-.' '■ ■ i Incidentally, there is a longer name lhan’this:', in' the,- Gisborne -.dlstpipt.: GUi'ibusly. enough*’" they'. l -are, aln>j>st. ; identical. The, only, differeheb. isuthat, 'Pamateapokaiwhehua t'fs. .substitutedfor Taneniu'araiigi . as fQUb\ysa~c# Tnumatar - whalfatahgihahga-kdatlalf-b- - 7ifEiiba ! teapokai\vheiTiU'a : rkl'-tOii'a-tahii. s It; J is" 'Sho.wn on, most 'mins' ak tangihangakoauau,. r and ; ;>lie£ on fiorthern. iboilridafy of. the, Tangihanga: A block,', which' is ; a’ further coritraeN tion.i ' That, if he lqpaFnaWfeDs tdtype ’’of-* the if aw lie's ■ Bay* one is evident from the fact that Thmafeppokaiwhenua flourished’d' century’or..so. before Tanenuiarangi- ■ K. TV. HALBERT.