Introduction
Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand is fairly well known these days, and often translated as "Land of the Long White Cloud". But it's not quite that simple. even beyond that it used to refer only to the North Island.
"long white cloud" is an appealing translation, because Polynesian navigators did use the presence of a cloud to deduce the location of islands. Ocean winds hitting a volcanic island deflect upward, cooling and condensing, and so form clouds that hang around these peaks, making them visible from further away. In Hawaiʻian ao loa, literally "long cloud", is an established phrases meaning a long, high, and/or distant cloud, a stratus cloud on the horizon, or figuratively a prominent and distinguished person.
But we have to remember it was S. Percy Smith himself who translated it as "long white cloud", about 150 years ago. Like—this is so long ago, that Smith's colleague Tregear who co-founded the Polynesian Society with Smith, argued that Polynesian was a branch of Indo-European.
Percy Smith is perhaps best summed up by Giselle Byrnes: "Although it is now generally accepted that much of his work on the Maori is unreliable, his research nevertheless provided a basis for the development of professional ethnology in New Zealand."
The first problem comes from ao. There's a phonological merger of two, originally distinct words: on the one hand, Oceanic *qaco → Polynesian *ʔaho: "day, daylight" (and, in Eastern Polynesian "the mortal world, world, earth, universe"); and on the other Oceanic *qaʀoq → Polynesian *ʔao: "cloud". With the lost of Proto-Polynesian *h in Nuclear Polynesian, these words became indistinct, and probably had been for at least 200 years before the settlement of New Zealand. Most early translators other than Smith interpreted it as *ʔaho, and translated it as "day" or "land". There's a long-standing theory that it may refer to the greater variation in day length in New Zealand, since it is further from the equator than any other Polynesian settlement.
Secondly, tea—it's fairly clear what word it is, but it could variously be translated as not only "white", but also "bright", "clear", etc. The original meaning in Oceanic seems to have been "clear, unobstructed", giving *qātea/*wātea: "open space, wide" (which also compounds to *qaco in *qaco-qatea/*qaco-watea: "broad daylight, midday", as in Māori awatea: "midday, broad daylight, daylight, diurnal"); and maybe in *katea: "open side of a canoe, opposite the outrigger". (Though some evidence suggests that may have been modified from earlier *katae only by later association with *tea/*qatea.)
Except then there's the question of if Aotearoa should even be considered as ao-tea-roa or if it should instead by considered aotea-roa. Aotea has a number of meanings on its own:
1. a cloudy-white variety of greenstone (nephrite jade). This is a particularly interesting point because the South Island is called Waipounamu, which does in fact mean "greenstone". So wait, maybe Aotearoa is referencing the greenstone aotea? Well no probably not, because geologically all the greenstone comes from the South Island. The South Island is probably named Waipounamu in specific contrast to the North Island not having greenstone.
2. Aotea is the name of the Great Barrier Island off the coast of North Island. So it could be that the North Island (Aotearoa) is named for being in a sense a big version of Great Barrier Island (Aotea).
3. Aotea is the name of one of the canoes in the canoe traditions of the settlement of New Zealand. In fact, so is Aotearoa! The canoe traditions is a deeply fraught subject; it's not clear to what extent distortions by early researchers like Smith eventually filtered back into oral tradition during the Māori revival movements.
Like for tea, for roa it's pretty clear what word that it is, but should it be understood as "long" in space or time? "high"? "slow"? "enduring"? These are all reasonable translations of roa—either in modern Māori, or in closely related languages and therefore potentially in archaic Māori.
Unless of course, it's the intensive/immediative postpositional particle roa. That's not in my (New Zealand) Māori dictionaries, but it is in all of its closest relatives within Tahitic, as well as many other Polynesian languages. It may or may not be derived from the other roa/*loa.
It is an interesting coincidence that the Hawaiʻian cognates of tea and roa appear in the two great peaks of the island of Hawaiʻi: Mauna Loa ("long mountain") and Mauna Kea (possibly "white mountain"—there are other possibilities, but they all come back to the same *tea one way or another).
Teaser
Aotearoa, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa
Full Text
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Oceanic *tea clear
- Fijian see bright, clear
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Polynesian *tea white, clear
- Niuafoʻou teatea white
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Nuclear Polynesian *tea
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Eastern Polynesian *tea
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Marquesic
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Hawaiʻian kea white, clear, fair, shiny
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Hawaiʻian Mauna Kea place name: White Mountain
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Hawaiʻian Ka Mauna a Wākea the Mountain of Wākea, Mauna Kea
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Hawaiʻian Mauna Kea place name: White Mountain
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- English Mauna Kea
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- Mangarevan tea white, pale, blond, dull
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- Rapa Nui teatea white
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Tahitic *tea
- Cook Islands Māori tea white, clear
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Māori tea white, clear
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Māori Aotearoa place name: Long White Cloud? Enduring Bright World? Tall Whitish Greenstone?, the North Island, New Zealand
- English Aotearoa
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Māori aotea a cloudy-white variety of greenstone
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Māori Aotearoa place name: Long White Cloud? Enduring Bright World? Tall Whitish Greenstone?, the North Island, New Zealand
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- Paʻumotu tea white, clear
- Tahitian tea white
- Tahitic *tamatea a phase of the moon, around first quarter
- Eastern Polynesian *tua-tea white-capped wave, breaker
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Takuu ttea whitish blue, early morning
- Tikopia tea light, white, clear
- Tuvaluan tea white
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Futunic
- Anuta tea white
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Samoic
- Samoan -tea white, whitish in compounds
- Tokelauan -tea white, pale in compounds
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- Nuclear Polynesian *mala-tea a kind of fish
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Tongic
- Niuēan tea white, light-colored, pale
- Tongan tea white, light, pale
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Polynesian *tetea pale, albino
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Nuclear Polynesian
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Eastern Polynesian
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Marquesic
- Hawaiʻian kekea albino
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Tahitic
- Tahitian tetea pale, untanned, a kind of phantom
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Takuu ttea pale blue, early morning
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Samoic
- Samoan tetea albino
- Tokelauan tetea albino, pale, gray, whitish
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Tongic
- Tongan tetea albino, pale, anemic
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- Polynesian *ʔafa-tea a kind of tree
- Polynesian *puka-tea a kind of tree
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Oceanic *katea *katae free side of a canoe, opposite the outrigger possibly originally distinct, but reshaped by influence from *(qā)tea in some descendants
- Fijian katā side of a canoe opposite the outrigger
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Micronesian
- Chuukese asa lee side of a canoe
- Kiribati katea lee side of a canoe
- Marshallese kōca lee side of a canoe
- Woleai geta / igeta lee side of a canoe
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Polynesian *katea side of a boat opposite the outrigger
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Nuclear Polynesian
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Marquesic
- Hawaiʻian ʻākea starboard hull of a double canoe, starboard
- Marquesan ketea / keteʻa / akatea side of a canoe opposite the outrigger
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Tahitic
- Cook Islands Māori katea open side of a canoe, starboard
- Māori katea thwarts, crosspieces used to strengthen a canoe
- Tahitian ʼatea starboard, side of a canoe opposite the outrigger
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Takuu katea side of a canoe opposite the outrigger, hull of a canoe (as opposed to the outrigger)
- Tikopia katea starboard side of a canoe, opposite the outrigger
- Tuvaluan katea starboard, side of a canoe opposite the outrigger
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Futunic
- Anuta pāi katea starboard side of a canoe, opposite the outrigger
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Samoic
- Samoan atea hull side of a canoe, opposite the outrigger, lee
- Tokelauan katea side of a canoe opposite the outrigger
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Tongic
- Niuēan katā / kiatā starboard
- Tongan katea hull of a canoe (as opposed to the outrigger)
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Southern Oceanic
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North Vanuatu
- Mota gatae side of a canoe opposite the outrigger
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Oceanic *qātea *wātea clear space, unobstructed, wide with *qā- or *wā- both meaning an interval of time or space
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Oceanic *qaco-qatea *qaco-watea broad daylight, midday
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Polynesian *ʔaho-ʔatea *ʔaho-watea *ʔaho-tea broad daylight, midday, noon
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Nuclear Polynesian
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Eastern Polynesian *aoatea *awatea
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Marquesic
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Hawaiʻian awakea noon, midday
- Hawaiʻian Awakea / Wākea divine name: Zenith
- Mangarevan avatea midday
- Marquesan oatea / wauateia broad daylight, noon, day
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Tahitic
- Cook Islands Māori avatea forenoon, daytime
- Māori awatea midday, broad daylight, daylight, diurnal
- Paʻumotu avatea midday
- Tahitian avatea midday
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Eastern Polynesian *awatea *wātea divine name: Zenith? Spacious (Sky)?
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Marquesic
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Hawaiʻian Awakea / Wākea
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Hawaiʻian Ka Mauna a Wākea the Mountain of Wākea, Mauna Kea
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- Marquesan Atea
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Tahitic
- Cook Islands Māori Avatea / Vatea
- Māori Atea
- Paʻumotu Atea
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Tikopia avatea midday
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Samoic
- Samoan aoatea midday
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Tongic
- Niuēan ahotea broad daylight
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Southern Oceanic
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South Vanuatu
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Aneityum afiat become day
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Aneityum n-afiat day, daytime
- Aneityum n-afiat-iat midday
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Polynesian *ʔātea *wātea clear, unobstructed
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Nuclear Polynesian
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Eastern Polynesian *ʔātea *wātea broad, wide, spacious
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Eastern Polynesian *awatea *wātea divine name: Zenith? Spacious (Sky)?
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Marquesic
- Hawaiʻian ākea broad, wide, open, public
- Mangarevan ātea to be far, to be distant
- Marquesan fatea / hatea large, wide, spacious
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Tahitic
- Cook Islands Māori ātea wide, clear space, vista
- Māori ātea clear, out of the way, unobstructed
- Paʻumotu atea clear, open, unobstructed
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Tahitian ātea far, distant
- Tahitian āteatea spacious, wide, unobstructed, open
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Takuu ātea clean, neat, pure, unrestricted
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Tikopia ātea away, out
- Tikopia ateatea broad
- Tuvaluan ātea clear, unobstructed
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Samoic
- Samoan ātea clear, unoccupied, unobstructed
- Tokelauan ātea clearing, open space
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Tongic
- Tongan ‘ātea empty-handed
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Austronesian *lawa *malawa wide
- Paiwan me-lawa wide
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Malayo-Polynesian *lawa *malawa wide
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Philippine
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Cordilleran
- Ilokano láwa wide, spacious, broad, large, loose
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Oceanic *lawa *malawa long, tall, wide, far away
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Admiralty Islands
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Manus
- Nyindrou lawe long, tall
- Titan alawé-n long, tall
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Polynesian *loa *loloa long (in space or time), tall
- Niuafoʻou loaloa long
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Nuclear Polynesian *loa *loloa
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Eastern Polynesian
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Marquesic
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Hawaiʻian loa / loloa distant, long, tall, permanent
- Hawaiʻian ao loa a long, high, or distant cloud; a stratus cloud; a distinguished person
- Hawaiʻian Hōkūloa Long-Star, Venus
- Hawaiʻian hikiāloa long-term, long-range, far-reaching
- Hawaiʻian hoʻoloa / hoʻololoa to stretch, to lengthen, to prolong
- Hawaiʻian limu loloa a kind of seaweed
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Hawaiʻian Mauna Loa place name: Tall Mountain
- English Mauna Loa
- Mangarevan roa long, extended, tall, length, far away (in space or time)
- Marquesan roa / ʻoa / koa large, tall, high, a long time, enduring
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- Rapa Nui roa length, long, far
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Tahitic
- Cook Islands Māori roa long
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Māori roa long, tall, slow, delayed, enduring, a long time
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Māori Aotearoa place name: Long White Cloud? Enduring Bright World? Tall Whitish Greenstone?, the North Island, New Zealand
- Māori ngutu roa long beak, a kiwi (bird)
- Māori moenga roa long sleep, i.e. death
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- Paʻumotu roa long, tall, wide, extended
- Tahitian roa long (in space or time)
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Takuu roa / loa / roroa long, tall, high
- Tikopia roa / loa long
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Futunic
- Anuta roa / roroa long (in space or time)
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Samoic
- Samoan loa long
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Tongic
- Niuēan loa long, tall
- Tongan loa long, tall, extended, long ago, tedious
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Polynesian *loa intensive or immediative particle/postfix
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Nuclear Polynesian
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Eastern Polynesian
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Marquesic
- Hawaiʻian loa intensive particle: very, too most
- Marquesan ʻoa indeed, then, what?!
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Tahitic
- Cook Islands Māori roa very, immediately, completely
- Paʻumotu roa very
- Tahitian roa very, thoroughly, completely
- Rapa Nui ro intensive particle
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Samoan-Outlier
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Futunic
- Anuta ro emphatic filler word
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Samoic
- Samoan loa at once, immediately
- Tokelauan loa at once, immediately
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Southern Oceanic
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South Vanuatu
- Aneityum lau / laulau a long time
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Oceanic *qaʀoq cloud
- Fijian oo cloud
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Polynesian *qao cloud
- Niuafoʻou ʻao / ao cloud
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Nuclear Polynesian
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Eastern Polynesian
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Marquesic
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Hawaiʻian ao cloud
- Hawaiʻian ao loa a long, high, or distant cloud; a stratus cloud; a distinguished person
- Mangarevan ao cloud
- Marquesan ao cloud
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Takuu aoa cloud
- Tikopia ao cloud
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Futunic
- Anuta ao / kauao cloud
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Samoic
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Samoan ao cloud
- Samoan aotea the Magellanic Clouds
- Tokelauan ao cloud
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Tongic
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Niuēan *ao
- Niuēan aoluu a cloud
- Niuēan aolagi cloud cover, cloudy sky
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Tongan ʻao
- Tongan ʻaoʻaofia cloudy
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Southeast Solomonic
- ꞌAreꞌare raro cloud, sky, heaven
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Austronesian *qajaw day
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Paiwan qadaw sun, day, clock
- Paiwan paqadaw put in the sun to dry
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Malayo-Polynesian *qajaw day
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Bornean
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Barito
- Malagasy andro day, daytime, a period of time
- Ngaju andau day
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Oceanic *qaco day
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Polynesian *qaho *ʔaho
- Niuafoʻou aho day (not night)
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Nuclear Polynesian *ʔaho
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Eastern Polynesian
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Marquesic
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Hawaiʻian ao light, day (not night), daylight, dawn, to become light, to wake up, enlightenment, world, earth
- Hawaiʻian hoʻāo to marry causative, probably originally/literally, "to stay until daylight""
- Hawaiʻian aokanaka human thought, civilization, rational
- Mangarevan ao day (not night)
- Marquesan ao day (not night), daylight
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Rapa Nui ꞌao sunset, nightfall
- Rapa Nui ꞌao popohaŋa dawn, daybreak
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Tahitic
- Cook Islands Māori ao
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Māori ao to dawn, bright, world, daytime
- Māori ao tūroa light of day, world, Earth, nature
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Māori Aotearoa place name: Long White Cloud? Enduring Bright World? Tall Whitish Greenstone?, the North Island, New Zealand
- Tahitian ao day, daylight
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Samoan-Outlier
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Ellicean
- Takuu ao day (not night), daylight
- Tikopia ao daylight
- Tuvaluan aho day (24 hours)
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Futunic
- Anuta ao day (not night), day of the week
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Samoic
- Samoan aso day, date
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Tongic
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Niuēan aho day, daylight, morning
- Niuēan ahogia overtaken by daylight
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Tongan ʻaho day, birthday
- Tongan ʻahoʻaho (as bright) as day, very bright (usually of the moon)
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Southeast Solomonic
- ꞌAreꞌare rato sun, sunshine, good weather
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Bughotu aho sun
- Bughotu vaaho to dry in the sun
- Gela aho sun, good weather, to be in the sun, to put in the sun
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Oceanic *qaco-qatea *qaco-watea broad daylight, midday
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Austronesian *maqajaw sunny, hot
- Paiwan ma-qadaw to appear (of the sun), to be burned by the sun
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Austronesian *qumajaw to shine (of the sun)
- Paiwan qmadaw to shine (of the sun)
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Malayo-Polynesian
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Philippine
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Cordilleran
- Ifugao umalgó to shine (of the sun)
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Visual
