Aotearoa Explained

Aotearoa (pronounced as /mi/) is the Māori name for New Zealand. The name was originally used by Māori in reference only to the North Island, with the whole country sometimes referred to as Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu, especially in the South Island.[1] In the pre-European era, Māori did not have a collective name for the two islands.[2]

Several meanings for Aotearoa have been proposed; the most popular translation usually given is "land of the long white cloud", or variations thereof. This refers to the cloud formations which are believed to have helped early Polynesian navigators find the country in Māori oral tradition.[3]

Beginning in the late 20th century, Aotearoa has become widespread in the bilingual naming of national organisations and institutions. Since the 1990s, it has been customary for particular parties to sing the New Zealand national anthem, "God Defend New Zealand" (or "Aotearoa"), in both Māori and English,[4] which further exposed the name to a wider audience.

New Zealand English speakers pronounce the word with various degrees of approximation to the original Māori pronunciation, from pronounced as /en/ at one end of the spectrum (nativist) to pronounced as /en/ at the other.[5] Pronunciations documented in dictionaries of English include,[6],[7] and .

Origin

The original meaning of Maori: Aotearoa is not known.[8] The word can be broken up as: Maori: ao ('cloud', 'dawn', 'daytime' or 'world'), Maori: tea ('white', 'clear' or 'bright') and Maori: roa ('long'). It can also be broken up as Maori: [[Aotea (canoe)|Aotea]], the name of one of the migratory canoes that travelled to New Zealand, and Maori: roa ('long'). The most common literal translation is 'long white cloud',[9] commonly lengthened to 'the land of the long white cloud'.[10] Alternative translations include 'long bright world' or 'land of abiding day', possibly referring to New Zealand having longer summer days in comparison to those further north in the Pacific Ocean.[11]

Mythology

In some traditional stories, Aotearoa was the name of the canoe (Maori: [[waka (canoe)|waka]]) of the explorer Kupe, and he named the land after it.[12] Kupe's wife Kūrāmarotini (in some versions, his daughter) was watching the horizon and called Maori: "He ao! He ao!" ('a cloud! a cloud!').[13] Other versions say the canoe was guided by a long white cloud in the course of the day and by a long bright cloud at night. On arrival, the sign of land to Kupe's crew was the long cloud hanging over it. The cloud caught Kupe's attention and he said "Surely is a point of land". Due to the cloud which greeted them, Kupe named the land Aotearoa.[9]

Usage

It is not known when Māori began incorporating the name into their oral lore. Beginning in 1845, George Grey, Governor of New Zealand, spent some years amassing information from Māori regarding their legends and histories. He translated it into English, and in 1855 published a book called Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race. In a reference to Māui, the culture hero, Grey's translation from the Māori reads as follows:

The use of Aotearoa to refer to the whole country is a post-colonial custom.[14] Before the period of contact with Europeans, Māori did not have a commonly used name for the entire New Zealand archipelago. As late as the 1890s the name was used in reference to the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) only; an example of this usage appeared in the first issue of Huia Tangata Kotahi, a Māori-language newspaper published on 8 February 1893. It contained the dedication on the front page, "He perehi tenei mo nga iwi Maori, katoa, o Aotearoa, mete Waipounamu",[15] meaning "This is a publication for the Māori tribes of the North Island and the South Island".

After the adoption of the name New Zealand (anglicised from Nova Zeelandia[16]) by Europeans, one name used by Māori to denote the country as a whole was Niu Tīreni,[17] a respelling of New Zealand derived from an approximate pronunciation.

The expanded meaning of Aotearoa among Pākehā became commonplace in the late 19th century. Aotearoa was used for the name of New Zealand in the 1878 translation of "God Defend New Zealand", by Judge Thomas Henry Smith of the Native Land Court[18] —this translation is widely used today when the anthem is sung in Māori.[4] Additionally, William Pember Reeves used Aotearoa to mean New Zealand in his history of the country published in 1898, The Long White Cloud: Ao Tea Roa.

Since the late 20th century Aotearoa is becoming widespread also in the bilingual names of national organisations, such as the National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.[19]

The New Zealand province of the Anglican Church is divided into three cultural streams or Maori: [[tikanga]] (Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia), with the Aotearoa Maori: tikanga covering Māori-speaking congregations within New Zealand.[20]

In 2015, to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), the Black Caps (the New Zealand national cricket team) played under the name Aotearoa for their first match against Zimbabwe.[21]

Music

Proposals for official use

A 2019 petition initiated by Danny Tahau Jobe for a referendum on whether the official name of New Zealand should change to include Aotearoa[25] received 6,310 signatures.[26]

In September 2021, Te Pāti Māori started a petition to change the name of New Zealand to Aotearoa.[27] The petition received 50,000 signatures in two days,[28] and over 70,000 by early June 2022. On 2 June, the petition was submitted to Parliament's Petitions Committee. Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi argued that the proposed name change would recognise New Zealand's indigenous heritage and strengthen its identity as a Pacific country. Waititi objected to the idea of a referendum, claiming it would entrench the "tyranny of the majority". National Party leader Christopher Luxon stated that renaming New Zealand was a constitutional issue that would require a referendum. Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson expressed concerns that a potential name change would create branding issues for the country's tourism industry.[29]

A 1News–Colmar Brunton poll in September 2021 found that 58% of respondents wanted to keep the name New Zealand, 9% wanted to change the name to Aotearoa, and 31% wanted the joint name of Aotearoa New Zealand.[30] A January 2023 Newshub-Reid Research poll showed a slight increase in support for the name Aotearoa, with 36.2% wanting Aotearoa New Zealand, 9.6% Aotearoa only, and 52% wanting to keep New Zealand only.[31]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Marshall . Andrew . 2 October 2021 . Ngāi Tahu leader: Let's not rush name change . . 17 October 2025.
  2. Book: King, Michael . 2003 . The Penguin History of New Zealand . Penguin . 0-14-301867-1 . 41 . In fact, in the pre-European era, Maori had no name for the country as a whole. .
  3. Web site: Morrison . Stacey . Morrison . Scotty . 15 November 2021 . Why Referring to New Zealand as Aotearoa Is a Meaningful Step for Travelers . 29 June 2023 . Condé Nast Traveler.
  4. Web site: God Defend New Zealand/Aotearoa . mch.govt.nz . . 29 April 2017 . en . 7 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170507152654/http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/national-anthems/god-defend-new-zealandaotearoa . live .
  5. Book: Bauer. Laurie. Laurie Bauer. Warren. Paul. 2004. New Zealand English: phonology. Schneider. Edgar W.. Burridge. Kate. Kortmann. Bernd. Mesthrie. Rajend. Upton. Clive. A Handbook of Varieties of English. 1: Phonology. Berlin. Mouton de Gruyter. 580–602. 10.1515/9783110197181-038. 978-3-11-017532-5. 242118647.
  6. Web site: Aotearoa. ABC Pronounce. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2007-12-21. 2021-10-07. pron. as per Macq. Dict.. 2019-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20190219030919/https://www2b.c0.abc.net.au/abcpronunciation-external/Search.aspx#?S=Aotearoa. live.
  7. Aotearoa . https://web.archive.org/web/20211007004814/https://www.lexico.com/definition/Aotearoa . dead . 2021-10-07 . Lexico UK English Dictionary . Oxford University Press.
  8. Book: Orsman. Harry. The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature. Oxford University Press. 9780195583489. Robinson. Roger. 1998. Aotearoa. 1998. 10.1093/acref/9780195583489.001.0001. Nelson. Wattie.
  9. Encyclopedia: Aotearoa . . 1966 . A. H. . McLintock . Alexander Hare McLintock . 19 July 2020 . . 3 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200503192156/https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/aotearoa . live .
  10. News: Swirling cloud captured above New Zealand — 'The Land of the Long White Cloud' . 29 April 2017 . . 22 January 2009 . 18 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180418115106/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/4315307/Swirling-cloud-captured-above-New-Zealand-The-Land-of-the-Long-White-Cloud.html . live .
  11. Encyclopedia: Light -Experiencing New Zealand light . . Jock Philips . 2012-05-19 . 2012-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121026115735/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/light/1 . live .
  12. Book: Percy Smith . Stephenson . History and traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast, North Island of New Zealand, prior to 1840 . 1910 . Polynesian Society, New Plymouth . 77 . First . 14 March 2021 . The first we hear of this Uenuku in Maori story is, that he was living at a place named Aotea-roa (the same name as New Zealand—a point worth noting) which, from what follows was Tahiti, where indeed his grandfather and great-grandfather held lands, until the former was expelled by Tu-tapu at the point of the spear; but even then the great-grandfather, Kau-ngaki (Kahu-ngaki in Maori), remained there and no doubt kept "the fire burning" on their ancestral lands. . 10 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211210230328/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-SmiHist-t1-body1-d5.html#n103 . live .
  13. Web site: Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal . First peoples in Māori tradition – Kupe . Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . 21 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190821031335/https://teara.govt.nz/en/first-peoples-in-maori-tradition/page-6 . live .
  14. Web site: Holmes . Paul . Michael King talks moa, flightless geese and the name Aotearoa – 1ZB Interview with Michael King – co-recipient of the inaugural Prime Minister's Awards for literary achievement. . The Big Idea . 14 March 2021 . 10 October 2003 . The other thing you talk about in your book is the word, the name "Aotearoa" and you say that in fact pre European, Maori did not actually call this place Aotearoa? King: There were some Maori tribes that had a tradition that the North Island had been called Aotea and Aotearoa but the two writers who popularised the Aotearoa name and the story of Kupe associated with it, were a man called Stephenson Percy-Smith and William Pember-Reeves and in a school journal in particular, it went into every school in the country in the early 20th century, they used Percy-Smith's material and the story about Kupe and Aotearoa said this is a wonderful name and its a wonderful story, wouldn't it be great if everybody called New Zealand, Aotearoa. And the result was that Maori children went to school.. We had a pretty extensive education system both in general schools and in the native school system.. And they learnt at school that the Maori name of New Zealand was Aotearoa and that's how it became the Maori name. . 13 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210313175340/https://www.thebigidea.nz/node/167772 . live .
  15. Web site: Huia Tangata Kotahi. New Zealand Digital Library, University of Waikato.. 7 April 2019. 7 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107110825/http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0niupepa--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1lpa--11-mi-50---20-about-Huia+tangata+kotahi+aotearoa--00-0-41-00-0--4----0-0-11-00-0utfZz-8-00&cl=&d=34_1_1.1&gg=full. live.
  16. Encyclopedia: Malcolm. McKinnon. Malcolm McKinnon. Place names – Naming the country and the main islands. Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. November 2009. 24 January 2011. 13 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180613111940/https://teara.govt.nz/en/place-names/page-1. live.
  17. Book: Robinson . Roger . Nelson . Wattie . Niu Tirani . The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature . 1998 . 1998 . . 10.1093/acref/9780195583489.001.0001 . 9780195583489.
  18. Web site: History of God Defend New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.. 27 October 2011. 26 September 2012. 20 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121020101938/http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/national-anthems/history-god-defend-new-zealand. live.
  19. Web site: National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Act 2003 . legislation.govt.n . Parliamentary Counsel Office . 5 December 2018 . 5 May 2003 . 5 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181205003740/http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2003/0019/latest/DLM191962.html . live .
  20. Web site: Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia . World Council of Churches . January 1948 . 9 June 2022 . en . 20 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220820052631/https://www.oikoumene.org/member-churches/anglican-church-in-aotearoa-new-zealand-and-polynesia . live .
  21. Web site: New Zealand to play as Aotearoa . 27 July 2015 . ESPNCricinfo . 30 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150730011806/http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-new-zealand-2015/content/story/903551.html . live .
  22. Web site: Overture: Aotearoa. SOUNZ. 13 October 2016. 28 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170428140358/http://sounz.org.nz/works/show/12102. live.
  23. Web site: Land of the Long White Cloud . C. Alan Publications . 19 July 2020 . en . 20 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200720022945/http://c-alanpublications.com/land-of-the-long-white-cloud/ . live .
  24. Encyclopedia: Swarbrick. Nancy. National anthems – New Zealand's anthems. . June 2012. 18 October 2017. 18 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018133906/https://teara.govt.nz/en/national-anthems/print. live.
  25. News: Petition for referendum to include Aotearoa in official name of New Zealand. Stuff. 1 February 2019. 5 May 2019. 5 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190505042859/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/110309909/petition-for-referendum-to-include-aotearoa-in-official-name-of-new-zealand. live.
  26. Web site: Petition of Danny Tahau Jobe – Referendum to include Aotearoa in the official name of New Zealand. New Zealand Parliament. 23 May 2018. 20 April 2019. 19 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190419220601/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/petitions/document/PET_78333/petition-of-danny-tahau-jobe-referendum-to-include-aotearoa. live.
  27. News: New Zealand Māori party launches petition to change country's name to Aotearoa. The Guardian. 14 September 2021 . 15 September 2021. 15 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210915013106/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/14/new-zealand-maori-party-launches-petition-to-change-countrys-name-to-aotearoa . live.
  28. News: Numbers top 50,000 for petition on name change to Aotearoa. 17 September 2021. Radio New Zealand. 17 September 2021. 17 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210917043626/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/451708/numbers-top-50-000-for-petition-on-name-change-to-aotearoa. live.
  29. News: McConnell . Glenn . Māori Party petition to officially call the country Aotearoa gets 70,000 supporters . 3 June 2022 . . 2 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220604110100/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128845298/mori-party-petition-to-officially-call-the-country-aotearoa-gets-70000-supporters. 4 June 2022. live.
  30. News: 1News poll reveals what Kiwis think about changing NZ's name to Aotearoa . TVNZ . 2021-09-28. 2021-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210928030354/https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/1news-poll-reveals-kiwis-think-changing-nzs-name-aotearoa . live.
  31. News: Lynch . Jenna . Newshub-Reid Research poll: What should country's official name be? . . 5 February 2023 . . 18 October 2025.

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