Te Pāpaka-a-Māui
Maori
Etymology
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
Te Pāpaka-a-Māui
- Australia (a country in Oceania)
Synonyms
- Ahitereiria
References
- “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.