WAITEMATA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20113, 26 November 1928, Page 12

WAITEMATA.

Sir, —I would like to say a few words with reference to tho meaning of the above name. First, I would point out that the word *s one of the most commonly met with of Maori words, and that it has three very distinct and different pronunciations. With both syllables long it means a "heap." occasionally a species of "plant." With the first syllable short and the latter strongly accented, it means obsidian or (lint, but with both syllables short it has a great variety of meanings. To give a few: tho face, tho eve, tho edge, raw, uncooked, tlie mesh of a net, a fish, a charm, to. So to give tho correct meaning to " Waitemata" is not too easy. Now, nearly 50 years ago. I was living in a Maori settlement not far from the head waters of the harbour, and tho Maoris then and the Ngatiwhatua generally, always accented the last syllable, and I always understood tho name meant the water where tho mata was found. Tho lato Paora Tuhaere, his nephews and people, always pronounced it, in this way, but when speaking with Europeans would, especially tho young natives, pronoutico it as the pakelia does: a very common habit of the Maori. In 1884 1 was in the Far North, and when in tho company of tho late William Puckey, I happened to refer to the Waitemata I was pulled up for my pronunciation. 1 maintained 1 was right, and appealed to the natives, R a raw a people, who were with us, and they, to Mr. Piickev's lmnzement, said that tho pronunciation of the "tauhou" was quite "tika." Now Mr. Puckey, a brother of the late Judge Puckey of the Native Land Court, had learned Maori as soon as he had learned English; ho could not say which lie learned first, but the missionaries had assumed that the word had another meaning, and consequently gave it anjther pronunciation, which the Maori was too polite to correct. In former times the natives looked on the missionaries as little gods, and would never venture to correct them. I know of many other words pronounced quite differently to the native pronunciation of 50 years ago. I! am quite prepared to be called a "tangata kuware," for I am only a koroheka of over three score and ten. Christchurch. C. A. TobW.