Matariki
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Maori Matariki, short for ngā + mata + o + te + ariki + o + Tāwhirimātea, meaning "the eyes of the [wind] god Tāwhirimātea". In Māori legend, the Pleiades star cluster which it is named after was from Tāwhirimātea's plucked eyes.
Proper noun
Matariki
- The season, in late May or early June, when the Pleiades star cluster first rises, treated as the beginning of the new year by the Maori.