Page:Maori Division of Time.djvu/36

32

A glance at the following list shows us that the Motiori natives of the Chatham Isles employed a series of names well known in New Zealand. These names were probably carried thither from New Zealand. This list, given by Mr. Shand, contains thirty-one names, and he thought that Omutu and Owhiro might represent the same night, but this does not seem probable. He remarks that the moon becomes visible on the Otere [Tirea] night.

Comparing this series with list No. 3 we find that the above list is essentially a Maori one, though some names have become somewhat abraded, and others altered in various ways. As in a former case, the list commences with a name of a dark night, Omutu (the word mutu means "ended"). Whiro receives the prefix O, and Tirea assumes the form of Otere. The Moriori tongue was in a curiously decadent condition, and showed some very peculiar features. Hoata acquires the remarkable form of Ohewhata, and the final vowel of Oue changes. Tamatea and Tangaroa lose their final vowels. Ari is replaced by the new form Howaru, while Outua may be an error; possibly it should be Oatua, the a to u change being unusual. Hokopau equals Maori whakapau, and Orongomori is evidently Orongomauri.

The dark nights of the moon are called hinapouri (dark hina) by Moriori and Maori. Hina and mahina both denote the moon. Hinapouri and Hinauri are synonymous terms. A list of these Moriori names given by Captain Mair in vol. 37 of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute differs from the above, there being a marked displacement of names in it.

In the Rev. W. Gill's Myths and Songs from the South Pacific we find a list of names of the nights of the lunar month as employed by the, natives of Mangaia, in the Cook Group. At a glance one recognizes the Maori names it contains, only three of them being unknown to us. Dialectic peculiarities ensure slight changes; the h and wh of Maori are unknown, but v is used.