Maori Words in Everyday Use Trivia Quiz

Answer: Family

Maori people are very family-oriented and have a strong tradition of knowing their genealogy back for generations. Whanau describes a person's close family, hapu is the word for extended family and iwi is the word for a person's tribe. In Maori, the letters "wh" are pronounced like a soft "f".

Answer: Stomach

My parents used to tell me not to unscrew my belly button or my puku would fall off. I tried really hard to do this but strangely never succeeded!

Answer: Food

New Zealanders are very sociable and love a good party. The kai is bound to be fantastic!

Answer: Dig a hole in the ground and cook the food using hot stones.

Hangi food is the most delicious food on the planet! All the meat and vegetables are prepared and wrapped in tinfoil and cloths, then placed on the hot stones and covered with earth for several hours. Once uncovered the most amazing smell wafts around. The meat is falling apart tender and everything is guaranteed to be devoured in a trice!

Answer: Funeral

Tangi are very important occasions for Maori. They often take around three days for all the ceremonies to be completed. It is expected that as many of the deceased person's extended family as possible will be present.

Answer: Sacred

You might have guessed this as the word is very close to "taboo" in English. The ground could be sacred for a number of reasons but often it is because it is an old burial ground. Maori did not use headstones or other markers so the graves are not obvious but they are always known to local Maori and are respected by everyone.

Answer: On the ocean

A waka is a canoe. They can be any size from little one-person canoes to large, ocean-going craft. They are often highly-decorated with carvings and are real works of art in their own right. Maori legend says that the first Maori crossed the ocean to Aotearoa/New Zealand from the mythical land of Hawaiiki many hundreds of years ago.

When you see the distances in the Pacific Ocean you can't help but be impressed!

Answer: A tattoo around her mouth and on her chin

Maori have a highly-developed tattoo tradition (known as "Ta Moko"). Traditionally, men received tattoos on any part of the body (faces, buttocks, arms and legs were most common) while women only had them around the mouth and on the chin. Tattoos all have stories or symbolism associated with them. Often they record someone's genealogy. Maori tattoo designs have become very popular internationally with Robbie Williams, David Beckham, Rihanna and Chris Brown being some well-known people who have had them done.

Answer: Monster

There are many legends about taniwha in the Maori culture. The taniwha can take many forms and live anywhere. They're a good way of scaring children away from places they shouldn't go!

Answer: Aotearoa

To my mind it's ridiculous that our country is named after a small province of the Netherlands! It's a historical accident thanks to Abel Tasman being the first European to discover the country. There is a movement for the name of the country to be officially changed to Aotearoa but it hasn't gathered enough momentum yet.

The other names given above are all place names of different parts of New Zealand - Tamaki (Auckland), Te Wai Pounamu ("Land of Greenstone", one of the names for the South Island), Te Ika a Maui ("The Fish of Maui", one of the names for the North Island).