Māori Place Names: Their meanings and origins

Māori Place Names: Their meanings and origins
A.W. Reed
Revised by Peter Dowling

Fully updated edition of classic place names guide publishing in Māori Language Week The approach of Māori Language Week again throws the spotlight on some of the most commonly used Māori words – those that name places all over New Zealand. We use them every day, but how many of us know what they mean or can pronounce them with confidence?

For over 60 years now, A.W. Reed’s introduction to the meanings and origins of Māori place names has served as a trusty guide to understanding and pronunciation. This new, fourth edition includes over 2300 entries, incorporating modern usages, expanded entries for main centres and important features, and easy-reference maps.

The new Māori Place Names honours the
book’s whakapapa too – reproducing Reed’s introduction, and bringing back the original illustrations by renowned artist and designer James Berry. For bookshelf, backpack or glovebox, this is a must.

A.W. Reed was one of the leading New Zealand publishers and authors of the twentieth century, publishing several thousand books and penning over 200 himself. His work on New Zealand and Australian place names is still definitive. He died in 1979. The task of updating Reed’s work has been taken up by Peter Dowl ing, the publisher of Oratia Books, who most recently revised Place Names of New Zealand in 2010.

ENDS

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