Glossary | Kuputaka
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For full definitions of terms in te reo Māori, refer to Te Aka Māori Dictionary. This glossary offers abbreviated definitions applied in the context of this guide as a support to readers.
Te Aka Māori Dictionary(external link) — maoridictionary.co.nz
The glossary focuses on the body of the text and excludes terms used in translations of the title, headings and whakataukī or whakatauākī.
| Māori | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ahi kā | ancestral marae community; customary fires of occupation |
| Aotearoa | New Zealand |
| hapori | community |
| hapū | kin group; sub tribe |
| haukāinga | local marae community |
| hui | gathering, meeting |
| hunga mate | those who have passed on |
| hunga ora | the living |
| iwi | tribe; collective of hapū |
| kai | food |
| kaitiakitanga | guardianship; custodianship |
| kaumātua | male elder |
| kaupapa | issues; plan |
| koha | gift |
| kōpū | strategic vision |
| kotahitanga | unity |
| kuia | female elder |
| kūmara | sweet potatoes |
| kura | school; Māori language immersion school |
| mana | customary authority; power |
| mana whenua | power associated with the possession, protection and occupation of customary land |
| manaaki | to support, take care of and look out for others |
| manaakitanga | the process of caring for others; showing kindness |
| Māori | indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand |
| māra kai | community garden |
| marae | ceremonial courtyard and complex of buildings |
| māramatanga | enlightenment |
| mātāpono | principle |
| mātauranga | knowledge |
| mauri | life force; metaphysical essence or energy within a system supporting interconnected vitality |
| ngahere | bush |
| oranga | wellbeing |
| pakeke | adult |
| pōtiki | youngest child; younger entrepreneurial or innovative individual |
| pūtea | economy |
| rangatahi | young people |
| rangatira | leader |
| rangatiratanga | sovereignty; customary leadership |
| rohe | region |
| taiao | environment |
| taonga | ancestral treasure |
| te ao Māori | the Māori worldview |
| Te Tiriti o Waitangi | the document signed in 1840 which guides the relationship between the Crown and Māori |
| tika | right, just |
| tikanga | customary values and lore |
| tōhunga | expert |
| wānanga | forum; to deliberate |
| whakapapa | to layer; genealogy; lineage |
| whānau | family group |
| whanaungatanga | kinship; relationships |
| whāriki | mat |
| whenua | land |
| whakawhanaungatanga | kinship; building relationships; connections |