Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu
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Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is the Māori name for a hill, 305 metres (1,000 ft) high, close to Porangahau, south of Waipukurau in southern Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The name is often shortened to Taumata by the locals for ease of conversation. The New Zealand Geographic Placenames Database, maintained by Land Information New Zealand, records the name as "Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu", a hill at 40.3480 S, 176.5321 E.[1] It has gained a measure of fame as one of the longest place-names in the world. It is featured in a Mountain Dew jingle and part of it is also in the 1979 single "Lone Ranger" by British band Quantum Jump. It is the subject of a 1960 song by the New Zealand balladeer Peter Cape[2], as well as Hardcore DJ's Darkraver and DJ Vince in the song 'Thunderground'.
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[edit] Meaning
The name on the sign that marks this hill is "Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu", which translates roughly as The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one. At 85 letters, it has been listed in the Guinness World Records as one of the longest place names in the world.
[edit] Other versions
Other forms of the name are longer still: "Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaurehaeaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu" has 92 letters. In comparison, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the world's longest place name is Bangkok's full ceremonial name given by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, and later edited by King Mongkut, nearly doubles that and is called "Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit." [3]
A longer version,Taumata-whakatangihanga-koauau-o-Tamatea-haumai-tawhiti-ure-haea-turi-pukaka-piki-maunga-horo-nuku-pokai-whenua-ki-tana-tahu, has 105 letters and means The hill of the flute playing by Tamatea — who was blown hither from afar, had a circumcised penis, grazed his knees climbing mountains, fell on the earth, and encircled the land — to his beloved. (McGrath and Young 2001:130)[4]
[edit] Tamatea, explorer of the land
Tamatea-pōkai-whenua (Tamatea the explorer of the land) was the father of Kahungunu, ancestor of the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.[5] Mention of Tamatea's explorations of the land occur not only in Ngāti Kahungunu legends, but also in the traditions of iwi from Northland, where he is said to have explored the Hokianga and Kaipara harbours. In traditions from the Bay of Plenty region, he left a son, Ranginui, who is the ancestor of Ngāti Ranginui of Tauranga. Legends from the East Coast of the North Island tell of his explorations in Tūranga-nui (Gisborne), Māhia, Wairoa, Ahuriri (Napier), Heretaunga (near Hastings) and Pōrangahau. He travelled via the Mangakopikopiko River, over the Tītī-o-kura saddle via Pohokura to Lake Taupo. The Ōtamatea River and swamp is named after him. Tamatea is also the name of a place in Napier. Early South Island legends say that Tamatea sailed down the east coast. His canoe was wrecked in the far south, and transformed into Tākitimu mountain range. Tamatea then returned to the North Island, and travelled via the Whanganui River.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ "Place Name Detail: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu". New Zealand Geographic Placenames Database. Land Information New Zealand. http://www.linz.govt.nz/placenames/find-names/topographic-names-db/database/index.aspx?p=56389. Retrieved on 2009-01-25.
- ^ New Zealand Folk Song: Peter Cape
- ^ | Bangkok Post, "Maori claims world's longest place name", 1 September 2006
- ^ Ken McGrath and Hugh Young 2001, 'A Review of Circumcision in New Zealand', in George C. Denniston, Frederick Mansfield Hodges and Marilyn Fayre Milos, eds, 2001. Understanding Circumcision: A Multi-disciplinary Approach to a Multi-Dimensional Problem. Springer Press, 2001, pp. 129-146. Accessed 22 May 2008. URL: [1]
- ^ Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal. 'Papatūānuku – the land', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 21-Sep-2007. URL: [2]
- ^ Rāwiri Taonui. 'Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 21-Sep-2007 URL: [3]
