Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

Letter to the Editor - Thursday June 7, 2012

Northland Age
7 Jun, 2012 01:16 AMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article


Wot's in a name?

I watch and support sports on a Saturday. I am amazed at the amount of teams who shorten their team name from their real Maori names.

Our Maori names have a meaning, and it is bastardising our Maori language by shortening the real names. Examples I have seen and heard this season are: AWAZ - what does that mean? I know in Maori Awanui means Big River.

TAKAZ - what does that mean? I know Takahue in Maori tells a story about our tupuna who fell while being chased. He was carrying a hue, or guard. That is our history.

Y-WAP - Waipapakauri also has a lot of history.

MURI - muri means behind, but Muriwhenua is our tupuna.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

HOKI - instead of Hokianga. I know there is a lot of history in the name Hokianga.

I'm sure it would only take an extra breath to say our Maori names properly. Don't bastardise our reo. It sounds and looks terry bull.

MAORI AND PROUD TO BE ONE

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

RD3 Kaitaia

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

More homes for whānau: $4m boost for Māori-led Kaikohe development

10 Feb 12:00 AM
Northland Age

PM helps launch Bay of Islands club set to become new marina hangout

09 Feb 10:00 PM
Northland Age

Young mum who turned ovarian cancer battle into campaign dies aged 35

09 Feb 04:10 PM

Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northland Age

More homes for whānau: $4m boost for Māori-led Kaikohe development
Northland Age

More homes for whānau: $4m boost for Māori-led Kaikohe development

The Kaikohe project will deliver up to 100 new affordable rental homes by 2027.

10 Feb 12:00 AM
PM helps launch Bay of Islands club set to become new marina hangout
Northland Age

PM helps launch Bay of Islands club set to become new marina hangout

09 Feb 10:00 PM
Young mum who turned ovarian cancer battle into campaign dies aged 35
Northland Age

Young mum who turned ovarian cancer battle into campaign dies aged 35

09 Feb 04:10 PM


Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk
Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP