MAORI PLACE-NAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21507, 2 June 1933, Page 13

MAORI PLACE-NAMES

Sir,—Sir George Grey, in his "Polynesian Mythology," gives an account of the voyage of the Tainui canoe. He tells how this canoe landed in the north and later came along the coast to the Tamaki and proceeded up the creek to Tau-oma, or the portage, where the crew saw flocks of gulls and oyster-catchers passing over from the westward. They therefore explored the vicinity and discovered the Manukau Harbour. Grey continues: "So they determined to drag their canoes over the portage at a place they named Otahuhu, and to launch them again on the vast sheet of salt .water they had found." Sir George Grey's account is valuable because in it he probably voiced the opinions of the majority of well-informed Maoris of his day. If the Tainui people named Otahuhu it is possible that they did so because the landridge between Tamaki water and Manukau Harbour resembles tho roof of a whare. They dragged their canoe up one side, over tho Tahuhu (ridgo pole) and down tho other side. It was like going over a whare roof. Hence the name O-tahuhu. "O" of "Tahuhu," ridgo polo of a house. Of courso the belief that it means "Of Tahuhu," a man, is supported by documentary evidence, and the views "of poles for Tahuhu bird snares," ajid "eating raw huhu grubs" are upheld by many authorities, but then tho Tainui people passed over there and would be almost certain to name the place, especially when they experienced such difficulty in hauling their canoe over. In pronouncing tho name,' if "eating raw grubs" is meant, say "Ota-hu-hu," but if any of the other meanings are meant pronounce it "O-tahuhu" ("O" as "o" in "obey"), "ta" with long "a" with sound of "a" in "father"). Mr. James Cowan, recognised expert, in his "Travel in New Zealand," gives the meaning of "Waitcmata" as "glassy waters" or waters resembling tho polished surface of obsidian —volcanic' glass. If this meaning is accepted the name "Waitemata" should be pronounced with the final "a" long ("a" as "a" in "ark"}, mata with final "a" long means flint, quartz, or ob sidian used for cutting. T. C. C. Wilson.