" AWATEA "

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 74, 24 September 1936, Page 8

" AWATEA "

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Your correspondent "Tiki Tika" has made a definite statement that there is no such word as "Awatea" in the Maori language. The Yen. W. L. Williams, 8.A., the eminent Polynesian authority, accepted the word "Awatea" in his work of 1871 (printers ■Williams and Norgate) as a noun. He accepted it as a result of well-authen-ticated genuine Maori usage. He gives its meaning as "Broad daylight"—"Kua awatea kua puta rawa te ra," 'and for a second meaning "The middle of the day." It is hard to imagine a more dependable authority than the reverend I gentleman, who also admits in his works that many examples he used were adopted from the "Mythology and Traditions of the New Zealander," by Sir G. Grey, printed in London in 1854. He also took for purposes of authenticity from the lips of the then reliable Natives the phraseology of (Tie day. I cannot trace any authority for the suggested meaning, ■ "The eye of .the dawn." This seems to be a stretched or elongated interpretation. At all events authoritative corroboration seems to be lacking. Now, for "Tiki Tika" to say "there is no such word." Well, to him I say, "He aha to mate"—"What is the matter with you?" He is also definite that the steamer Rangitiki is misspelt and contends that it should be Rangitikei. Let me inform him that there is room for doubt in regard to these two words. A search among authoritative sources appears to provide the following explanation (rightly or wrongly, Ido not know):— "Rangitikei"—Rangi: Heaven, sky, region above the clouds; tikei: Something within that region imperceptible to the eye, maybe atmosphere. "Rangitiki"—Rangi: Heaven, sky, etc.; tiki: Something within that region that is perceptible to the eye, stars, moon, etc. If one digs deeply enough into the fundamentals of the Maori vocabulary," the obsession-of definiteness gives place to a realisation of the many possibilities of various interpretations which frequently are dependent upon topographical origins, matters of genealogy, or mythology, etc. One can only be arrogantly assertive upon certain aspects, such as consonantal combinations or arrangements, and vowel terminals of the syllables. Other than these we must tread very warily. Admittedly, some of the steamer names have been subjected to mutilation such as the use of the single "g" as a consonant instead 01 in conjunction with the preceding "n" to complete its consonantal value. Representations to the shipping people might have the effect we all desire. _ The fascinating study of the Maori race with their arts and crafts might well be substituted in our schools for some of the so-called academic subjects Wo pakehas, self-styled and satisfied intellectuals, might well, with our social and economic problems, take counsel from these vikings of the southern seas.—l am, etc., .