Te Pāpaka-a-Māui
Maori
[edit]Etymology
[edit]te + pāpaka + a + Māui. Literally means "the paddle crab of Māui", perhaps referring to the continent's shape resembling a crab. The name is also related to the two other names for North Island and South Island of New Zealand, which were related to a folktale about Maui.
Proper noun
[edit]- (neologism) Australia (A country in Oceania comprising the islands of Australia, Tasmania and other smaller islands in the Pacific Ocean, as well as a former colony in the British Empire)
- (geology) Australia (a continent consisting of the islands of Australia, New Guinea and intervening islands)
Synonyms
[edit]References
[edit]- “Te Pāpaka-a-Māui” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.