Māori names for marine mammals: nga ingoa o ‘nga tamariki o Tinirau’: Rhys Richards: Tuhinga 19

Tuhinga 19: 1-6

ABSTRACT: The first Polynesians to reach New Zealand found several species of sea mammals that do not occur, or occur only rarely, elsewherein Polynesia. Some of the names that Māori established for marine mammals, and for some other animals and plants, varied from place to place. Today, there remain more names than animals, and many names are not very specific. This paper records the range of Māori names applied to marine mammals, and notes that, with the trend towards consistent standardisation of Māori throughout New Zealand, many names could be lost.

KEYWORDS: Māori names, marine mammals, whales, dolphins, seals.