MAORI PLACE-NAMES

Waipa Post, Volume 51, Issue 3694, 6 December 1935, Page 7

MAORI PLACE-NAMES

THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH. ALONG THE RAILWAY LINE. The meaning of the Maori names of towns and townships on the Main Trunk line, rendered by “Tohunga,” form an interesting .feature of the Railways Magazine, and this month’s selection, containing as it does the names of places along the railway line from Frankton southwards, is of especial interest to this district. The interpretations are given as follows: Rukuliia: Originally a great swamp and series of lagoons. Ruku-to dive; rukuliia, act of diving; to submerge; also, in one sense, ceremonial ablutions. Ohaupo: The place or home of Haiipo., Literally, haupo is “winds of the night.” Ngaroto: The lakes. There were several shallow lakes in the swamp country here, mostly drained now.

Te Awamutu: The river end, referring to the head of canoe navigation here, on the Manga-o-Hoi stream. Although the source of the river is many miles beyond Te Awamutu, it was blocked by snags against continuous canoe transit. Kio Kio: The fern Lamoria capensis. often seen growing on roadsides and drooping over banks in cuttings. Also a name for a wandering moon.

Otorohanga: O —food for a journey; torohanga—stretched out, or caused to extend over a distance; toro —also to scout, reconnoitre. The local NgatiManiapoto tradition is that a chief who travelled from here to Lake Taupo carried only a small quantity of food (O) which he caused by magical means and incantations and his powetful mana to last him for the long journey.

Hangatiki: Hanga—to make; tiki, an image fashioned in human form; in this case a carved wooden post. Te Kumi:- A fabulous creature, a monster in reptile form said to live in the forest. -• Te Kuiti: A contraction of the original name, Te Kuititanga, meaning “The Narrowing In.” A name coined in the ’sixties, after the Waikato War, referring to the confiscation of Waikato lands, and the narrowing in of Maori territory, necessitating the disposssed Waikato tribes taking refuge in the country of the Ngati-Man-iapoto. Te Kuiti was the headquarters of the Maori King Tawhiao for some years after the war. The original name of the place was Tokangsmutu; the large village here stood on the flat about half a mile to the south of the present railway station. Tokanga—a large basket of food; mutu, ended or concluded.

Puketutu: Hill of the tutu or tapa ltihi scrub.

Kopaki: A wrapping or envelope;, flax woven mats laid in a grave as a “wrapping” for the dead, a token of respect often observed at burials. Also corn in the sheath or husk; unhusked maize is called lcaanga kopaki. Poro-o-Tarao: The range penetrated by the railway tunnel here was named after an incident of three centuries ago. The chief, Tarao, with a party of liis people, .was. .retreating southward from the Taumarunui district and was slowly climbing the range ahead of liis companions and his rapaki (waist ’garment) was lifted high until, like Gunga Din, the uniform ’e wore was nothin’ much before, an’ rather less than ’arf o’ that be’ind.” The sight of the well bared chief amused his followers, and from that little incident of the climb the range came to be named “Te Poro-o-Tarao,” meaning “The Posterior of Tarao.”

Waimiha: Originally Waimeha! literal meaning insipid, distasteful, but probably an ancestral personal name. The original Waimeha was a §mall Maori village some miles higher up the Ongarue Valley; the name was transferred to the railway station site.

Ongarue: The place of shaking or shivering, as in an earthquake. Te Koura: The fresh water crayfish. v Okahukura: The home of Kahukura. Ka.ku —garmen; kura —red. Kahukura is a symbolical term for the rainbow and the diety whose visible form it is.

Taringamutu: Taringa—ear; mutu, cut.off, or mutilated. Taumarunui: The place of abundant shade. A tradition states that a chief who lay dying here out of doors asked that a screen or shelter should be set up to shade him from the hot sun; hence the name. Taumaru—• shaded, overshadowing; nui—great large. Manunui: Great bird.