It’s cool to kōrero — Sept 2024

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Kupu hou (new word)

• Whero (red)
• He whero tāku waka hou. — My car is red.

How to pronounce this correctly, with the help of co-editor Renee Kiriona:

Whero is an important colour in Māori culture — it is associated with power and nobility, and also with fire and passion. It can also symbolise the bloodlines of Māori people and their connection to the earth.

And along with pango (black) and mā (white), whero is also one of the main colours used in kōwhaiwhai panels in ancestral meeting houses.

The same three colours are used in the tino rangatiratanga flag, with whero representing coming into being, life and Papatūānuku, the earth mother.

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Ringa whero is another word for rangatira (chief). It literally means “red hands” — this is because traditionally the body and hands of a rangatira would be smeared with red ochre.

Whakataukī

• Ma pango ma whero, ka oti te mahi.  — With black and with red, the work is completed.

This is about how important it is to work together to get something done. Whero (red) refers to the leaders and pango (black) to the workers or the community.

Other words and phrases related to whero include:

• Ringa whero – a chief or leader
• Pūtau toto whero – red blood cell
• Rīpeka Whero – Red Cross
• Rīpene whero – red ribbon or red tape
• Nīko whero – red cabbage
• Pūwhero – to blush (ie to be red or pink)

E mihi ana ki a Renee Kiriona rāua ko Mairi Lucas.

Sources

• https://maoridictionary.co.nz
• https://matariki.co.nz/the-meaning-of-the-colors-in-matariki-celebrations-and-adornments/