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Matariki

1. (personal noun) Pleiades, Messier 45 - an open cluster of many stars in Te Kāhui o Matariki, with at least nine stars visible to the naked eye. The brightest star in the centre of the cluster, also known as Matariki (Alcyone), married Rehua (Antares) and is the mother of the other eight stars of the Pleiades known to Māori. The other eight stars are: Tupuārangi (Atlas), Waipunarangi (Electra), Waitī (Maia), Ururangi (Merope), Tupuānuku (Pleione), Waitā (Taygeta), Pōhutukawa (Sterope) and Hiwa-i-te-rangi (Calaeno). The first appearance before sunrise of Matariki in the north-eastern sky, in the Tangaroa phase of the lunar month, indicates the beginning of the Māori year - about mid-June - and is the cause for celebrations. Matariki disappears at the end of the Māori year and traditionally this was also a reason for celebration with some iwi. During this time when Matariki was absent from the sky, she was said to visit four places, each for seven nights, Maukahau, Tārarau-ātea, Papa-whakatangitangi and Tītore-māhu-tū. Matariki is a truncated version of the name Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea (the eyes of the atua Tāwhirimātea). Matariki is associated with good health and wellbeing.

Ko te putanga mai o Matariki te tohu mō te marama tuatahi, ko ngā ingoa hoki ēnei o ngā marama katoa: Te Tahi o Pipiri, Te Rua o Takurua,Te Toru Here o Pipiri, Te Whā o Mahuru, Te Rima o Kōpū, Te Ono o Whitiānaunau, Te Whitu o Hakihea, Te Waru o Rehua, Te Iwa o Rūhi-te-rangi, Te Ngahuru o Poutū-te-rangi, Te Ngahuru mā tahi, Te Ngahuru ma rua (TP 1/3/1901:6). / The appearance of Pleiades is the sign for the first month and these are the names of all the months: The first is Pipiri, the second is Takurua, the third is Here o Pipiri, the fourth is Mahuru, the fifth is Kōpū, the sixth is Whiti-ānaunau, the seventh is Hakihea, the eighth is Rehua, the ninth is Rūhi-te-rangi, the tenth is Poutūterangi, the eleventh and twelth months.
Mō te marama o Mei, arā o Te Hakiharatua ki tā te Māori, o te tau 1922: Ko Matariki te whetū kei te ārahi i tēnei marama, he wehenga tau ki tā te Māori whakahaere (TTT 1/5/1922:13). / For the month of May, that is Te Hakiharatua according to the Māori, of the year 1922: The Pleiades is the star that heralds this month and divides the year according to the Māori system.

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See also Huihui-o-Matariki, Te, Tupuārangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī, Ururangi, Tupuānuku, Waitā, Tātai-o-Matariki

Synonyms: Huihui-o-Matariki, Te, Tātai-o-Matariki

matariki

1. (verb) to be small, minute.

Tātākina ā tātou wahie kia matariki (W 1971:190). / Cut up our firewood so that it is small pieces.

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Synonyms: koroiti, mataririki, mahake, pakupaku, mōkitokito, paku, tātakimōri


2. (noun) leading light, celebrity.

Hei te 2 o ngā rā o Mei i ia tau, i ia tau, ka tuwhera te Kauhanganui, ka hui ngā matariki, ngā manukura, ngā whakamarumaru (TP 1/12/1900:4). / On 2 May each year, the King's Parliament opens and the leading lights, the leaders and guardians assemble.

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Matariki

1. (location) Normanby - a town near Hāwera in Taranaki.

He wā poto i pau i a ia e noho ana i Waitara me Matariki i Taranaki (TTR 2000:206). / He spent a short time living at Waitara and Normanby in Taranaki.

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mātāriki

1. (noun) north-east sea breeze.

Te rā tuatahi he pai te haere, he mātāriki (W 1971:190). / Travel on the first day went well because it was a north-east sea breeze.

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ngao matariki

1. (modifier) fine carving - done with a small toki.

Nāna i tiki ngā mahi tapu a te whao, he toki ngao tū, he toki ngao pae, toki ao mārama toki ngao matariki (TWK 33:25). / It was he who fetched the sacred work of the chisel, an adze for a medium grade finish, an adze with a coarse finish, an adze for the world of life and light, an adze for a fine finish.

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mānawatia a Matariki

1. happy Matariki, hail Matariki, celebrate Matariki - an expression used to welcome Matariki and wish someone well during the time of Matariki.

Kua kaha haere taku rongo me taku kite i te mihi, ‘Mānawaita a Matariki’ i te wā o te tau hou Māori. / I’m hearing and seeing the greeting, ‘Celebrate Matariki’ during the Māori new year period more now.

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Matariki hunga nui

1. The rising of Matariki is a time when people converge in ceremony.

The large gathering of Matariki. /

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paki o Matariki

1. (noun) fine weather of summer.

Matariki Tāpuapua, Te

1. (personal noun) rainy season.

Ka kaha te maringi o ngā wai o Te Matariki Tāpuapua, hai whakamākūkū, hai waiwai i ngā kākano, i ngā tiputipu, kia makuru te kai (TWK 35:16). / The water pours down in the rainy season to moisten and water the seeds and plants so food is abundant.

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Tātai-o-Matariki

1. (personal noun) Pleiades, Seven Sisters - an open cluster of many stars in the constellation Taurus, with at least six stars visible to the naked eye. First appearance before sunrise of Matariki in the north-eastern sky indicates the beginning of the Māori year - about the middle of June. According to some tribes, Matariki is the star of the old year and Puanga-rua the star of the new year.

Paki o Matariki, Te

1. 'The widespread calm of Pleiades - the name of the coat of arms of the Kīngitanga which was designed by two Tainui tohunga, Tīwai Parāone of the Hauraki tribes and Te Aokatoa of the Waikato and Raukawa tribes. The work was approved in the time of King Tāwhiao, the second Māori king. The double spiral in the centre represents the creation with the series of strokes between the double lines marking off the various stages in the creation of the world. The figure on the right represents te atuatanga (spirituality) and the one on the left aituā (misfortune). The cross with the heart design represents Christianity while the seven stars represent Matariki, the Pleiades. The nīkau tree and harakeke plant on the right represent housing and clothing of the ancient Māori. The mamaku, an edible tree fern, and para, the tuber of which was used as food, are symbolic of the food of the Māori.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 1;)

Hei tohu i te mana me te awe hoki o Mere Rikiriki, i tāpaetia atu ai e Kīngi Tāwhiao he haki māna, e mau nei te īngoa ko 'E Te Iwi Kia Ora'; kātahi te taonga matahīapo ko tēnei; ko ōna tino tohu ko Te Paki o Matariki (TTR 1996:171). / Mere Rikiriki's influence and mana is demonstrated by King Tawhiao's presentation to her of the flag with the name 'E Te Iwi Kia Ora'; this was a prized treasure with significant markings known as Te Paki o Matariki.

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Huihui-o-Matariki, Te

1. (personal name) Pleiades, Seven Sisters - a cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus, commonly spoken of as seven though only six are plain to the average naked eye. The first full moon after its appearance in the north-east horizon just before dawn in late May marks the time to celebrate the Māori new year.

Hauhake tū ka tō a Matariki

1. Matariki guides us when to stop harvesting.

Harvesting finishes when Matariki sets. /

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Māhu-tū

1. (personal noun) a place below the horizon where Matariki (Pleiades) disappears to at the end of the Māori year. Matariki was said to visit four places, each for seven nights. The fourth place visited was Tītore-māhu-tū, or Māhu-tū.

Ko Matariki kei Papa-whakatangitangi, e whitu ngā pō ki reira ka tae ki Māhu-tū, ka tae tēnei ki ngā pō o Tangaroa, ko te tekau mā ono tēnei o ngā rā o Hune, ka puta ake i te hiku o Te Mangōroa (TTT 1/6/1922:10). / The Pleiades is at Papa-whakatangitangi for seven nights and then arrives at Māhu-tū and this is the night of Tangaroa, the 16th of June, when it appears in the tail of the Milky Way.

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Hiwa-i-te-rangi

1. (personal noun) Calaeno - one of the stars in Te Kāhui o Matariki, the Pleiades star cluster. Sometimes shortened to just Hiwa. A star that Māori would send their dreams and desires to in the hope that they would be realised. Said by some to be the daughter of Matariki and was taken by the star Ioio-whenua as his wife.

Waihoki, e rua atu anō ngā whetū o Matariki ka tautuhia e Te Kōkau e iwa ai te katoa o te kāhui. Ko ēnei whetū, ko Pōhutukawa rāua ko Hiwa-i-te-rangi (Matariki 2017:22). / Furthermore, Te Kōkau identifies two other stars in Matariki, giving nine altogether in the cluster. These stars are Pōhutukawa (Sterope) and Hiwa-i-te-rangi (Calaeno).

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Maukahau

1. (location) Maukahau - a place below the horizon where Matariki (Pleiades) disappears to at the end of the Māori year. Matariki was said to visit four places, each for seven nights. The first place visited was to Maukahau.

E whā ngā kāinga e haeretia ana e Matariki: (1) Maukahau, e whitu ngā pō; (2) Tārarau-ātea, e whitu ngā pō; (3) Papa-whakatangitangi, e whitu ngā pō; (4) Tītore-māhu-tū, e whitu ngā pō (TTT 1/5/1922:14). / There are four homes that the Pleiades travels to: (1) Maukahau, for seven nights; (2) Tārarau-ātea, for seven nights; (3) Papa-whakatangitangi, for seven nights; and (4) Tītore-māhu-tū, for seven nights.

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See also Matariki

Papa-whakatangitangi

1. (location) Papa-whakatangitangi - a place below the horizon where Matariki (Pleiades) disappears to at the end of the Māori year. Matariki was said to visit four places, each for seven nights. The third place visited was Papa-whakatangitangi.

Ko Matariki kei Papa-whakatangitangi, e whitu ngā pō ki reira ka tae ki Māhu-tū, ka tae tēnei ki ngā pō o Tangaroa, ko te tekau mā ono tēnei o ngā rā o Hune, ka puta ake i te hiku o Te Mangōroa (TTT 1/6/1922:10). / The Pleiades is at Papa-whakatangitangi for seven nights and then arrives at Māhu-tū and this is the night of Tangaroa, the 16th of June, when it appears in the tail of the Milky Way.

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See also Maukahau, Matariki

Tītore-māhu-tū

1. (location) Tītore-māhu-tū - a place below the horizon where Matariki (Pleiades) disappears to at the end of the Māori year. Matariki was said to visit four places, each for seven nights. The fourth place visited was Tītore-māhu-tū.

E whā ngā kāinga e haeretia ana e Matariki: (1) Maukahau, e whitu ngā pō; (2) Tārarau-ātea, e whitu ngā pō; (3) Papa-whakatangitangi, e whitu ngā pō; (4) Tītore-māhu-tū, e whitu ngā pō (TTT 1/5/1922:14). / There are four homes that the Pleiades travels to: (1) Maukahau, for seven nights; (2) Tārarau-ātea, for seven nights; (3) Papa-whakatangitangi, for seven nights; and (4) Tītore-māhu-tū, for seven nights.

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See also Maukahau, Papa-whakatangitangi, Māhu-tū, Matariki

Tārarau-ātea

1. (location) Tararau-ātea - a place below the horizon where Matariki (Pleiades) disappears to at the end of the Māori year. Matariki was said to visit four places, each for seven nights. The second place visited was Tararau-ātea.

E whā ngā kāinga e haeretia ana e Matariki: (1) Maukahau, e whitu ngā pō; (2) Tārarau-ātea, e whitu ngā pō; (3) Papa-whakatangitangi, e whitu ngā pō; (4) Tītore-māhu-tū, e whitu ngā pō (TTT 1/5/1922:14). / There are four homes that the Pleiades travels to: (1) Maukahau, for seven nights; (2) Tārarau-ātea, for seven nights; (3) Papa-whakatangitangi, for seven nights; and (4) Tītore-māhu-tū, for seven nights.

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See also Maukahau, Papa-whakatangitangi, Tītore-māhu-tū, Matariki

Pōhutukawa

1. (personal noun) Sterope - one of the stars in Te Kāhui o Matariki, the Pleiades star cluster. A female star that connects Matariki to the dead.

Waihoki, e rua atu anō ngā whetū o Matariki ka tautuhia e Te Kōkau e iwa ai te katoa o te kāhui. Ko ēnei whetū, ko Pōhutukawa rāua ko Hiwa-i-te-rangi (Matariki 2017:22). / Furthermore, Te Kōkau identifies two other stars in Matariki, giving nine altogether in the cluster. These stars are Pōhutukawa (Sterope) and Hiwa-i-te-rangi (Calaeno).

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