HORSES’ NAMES AND THEIR SIGNIFICATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1201, 8 March 1895, Page 24

HORSES’ NAMES AND THEIR SIGNIFICATION.

“ Ribbleden '* of the Aristralasian has been compiling a list of horses' names and their meaning, and from amongst the number 1 have clipped the following names well-known to New Zealanders. The Maori names are very difficult to define, as many of the names have a double meaning, and there is very little unanimity amongst the different tribes However, “ Ribbleden ” has compiled a very interesting list, which he terms “ Occasional Papers on Turf Nomenclature” AlO. By Mute—Waitiri. In Maori, calm, peaceful. Rewi. By RobiD3on Crusoe —Pilgrimage. The name of a Maori chief. Doemehr. By Gorton—lndolence. In French, a sluggard. Caribou. By Wapiti—Legera. The same as wapiti—the North American stag or gJJj Kiritea. By Foul Play—Kitty Totara. In Maori, white-skinned ; fair. Kiwi. By Puriri —Weka’s dam. The Maori name of a bird. CoOYA. By Nordenfeldt Radiance, (Properly Koia.') In Maori, “ yes.” Merganser. By Nordenfeldt —Albatross. The same as goosander, q.v. Goosander. By Nordenfeldt—Albatross. The same as merganser a migratory waterfowl. MALOLO. By Malua—Timidity. In Fijian, to skim along; hence in some dialects the flying-fish is so called. Musketoon. By Trenton—Mona. A light and short hand gun ; in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries a usual weapon of cavalry. Lord op Misrule. By King Cole—Zealendia. A person formerly chosen to direct the Christmas sports and revels ; his rule began on All-hallow Eve and continued till Candlemas Day. Finetta. By Ravenscraig, dam by Cadogan. “ The cinder girl,” a fairy tale by the Comtess D'Aunoy (1682)— the old tale of Cinderella slightly altered. Finetta was the youngest of three princesses, despised of them; and put to all sorts of menial work. Two cf the sisters went to balls, and left Finetta at home in charge of the house. One day she found a golden key, which opened a wardrobe full of most excellent dresses ; so, arraying herself in one, she followed her sisters to the ball, but she was so fine that they knew her not, and she ran home before them. This occurred two or three times, but at last, in running home, she lost one of her slippers. The young prince resolved to marry her alone whose foot fitted the slipper, and Finetta became his wife. Finetta was also called Auricula, or Fine-ear. Nada. By Trenton—Tuberose. The heroine of “ Nada the Lily," a novel by H. Rider Haggard. Akarini. By Mentor —Mitrailleuse. The Maori name of the city of Auckland, New Zealand. (Also spelled Akarara.) ' Eothen. By Ascot—Sunshine. In Greek, “ from the early dawn ” or “ from the East." A book of Eastern travels entitled “ Eothen," by Alexander William Kiuglake, was published in 1841.

Nixie. By Daniel O’Rourke —Waterbaby. In pythology, a water spirit, good or bad. “ She who sits by haunted well Is subject to the Nixies’ spell.” —Scott : “ The Pirate.” Orient. By Starlight. The east, the part of the horizon where the sun first appears in the morning ; opposed to Occident. “Morn, in the white wake of the morning star, Came furrowing all the orient into gold.” —Tennyson : “ Princess.” Johnny Faa. By Trefoil—La Bohernienne. The hero and title of a Scottish ballad, traditionally understood to refer to the abduction of a Countess of Cassilis by a Sir John Faw, to whom she had been betrothed previous to her marriage to the Earl oF Cassilis .

“ O, come wi’ me,” says Johnny Faa, O, come wi’ me, my dearie, For I vow and I swear by the hilt of my sword, | That your lord shall nao mair come near ye.” Te Whiti. By Malua- Fortune Teller. The name of a Maori prophet. La Feeche. By Lord Wilton—Lady Susan. In French, “ the arrow." Nenuphtje. By Apremont—Watersprite. The great white water-lily of Europe. Mako Maico. By The Admiral—Makura. The Maori name of a bird, the bell-bird. WhakaWatea. By Apremont—Becky Sharp. In Maori, to clear away. (Sometimes spelled Whakaatea.') Vogengang. By Burlington—Psyche. (Properly Bogangang.) In Germ my, an arcade or vaulted alley ; suggested probably by the Burlington-arcade, London. Noyade. By Lord of the Isles —Lorelei. (French.) Literally, drowning—a means of execution adopted by Carrier at Nantes, in the first French Revolution. Some 150 persons having been stowed in the hold of a vessel in the Loire, the vessel was scuttled, and the victims were drowned. Geraint. By Lochiel —Enid. Sir Geraint, of Devon, was one of the knights of the Round Table. He was married to Enid, only child of Yniol. Fearing lest Enid should be tainted by the queen, Sir Geraint left the Court and retire! to Devon. Half-sleeping and half-walcing, he overheard part of Enid's words, and fapcy-

ing her to be unfaithful to him, treated her for a time'with great harshness ; but Enid nursed him when he was Wounded with such wifely tenderness that he could no longer doubt her fealty, and, a complete understanding being established, “ they crowned a happy life with a fair death.” —Tennyson : “ Idylls of the King ” (" Geraint and Enid”). Kapua. By The Mute—TJira. In Maori, a cloud. Kabo. By The Mute —TJira. In Maori, a blind person. Hinau. By Natator —Linda. The Maori name of a tree. Huia. By Somnus Kimi Kai. The Maori name of a bird. Hiamoe. By Somnus —Topaz. In Maori, sleepy; drowsy. Haeata. By Ariel —Pearl. In Maori, the dawn ; early morning. Kohine. By Hiko —Jocasta. In Maori, a girl (used in addressing). Ilium. By Albany —Helena. Another name for the city of Troy. Eureka. By Newminster Primrose. Literally,. “I have found it!” the reputed exclamation' of Archimedes when, after long study, he discovered a method of detecting the amount of alloy in King Hiero’s crown: hence an exclamation of triumph at a discovery or supposed discovery. It was adopted as the motto of the State of California, in allusion to the discovery of gold there. Ich Dien. By St. George —Ravenswing. " I serve.” This was originally the motto of John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, who was killed at the battle of Crecy, in France, in 1346. It was adopted, together with his crest of three ostrich feathers, by Edward the Black Prince, who served in that battle, and both since have been retained by the Prince of Wales. Hippogriff. By Le Loup or St. Andrew —Hippona. A fabulous creature, like a griffin, but' with hoofs and other parts resembling a horse, apparently invented in imitation of Pegasus by the romancers ©£ the middle ages, and furnished to their heroes as a means of transportation through the air. “ So saying, he caught him up, and without

wing . )t Of Hippo griff, bore through the air sublime. Milton : “ Paradise Regained.”