アオテアロア
The supposition here is that Polynesian travellers, unused to snow, might well have seen these snowy peaks as a long white cloud. A third hypothesis surmises that Polynesian seafarers came from the tropics where night comes rapidly, with little twilight. New Zealand, in temperate latitudes, would have provided long periods of evening twilight, and also long summer days. Thus Aotearoa, would then translate as "long light sky”.
↑ The spelling varies, for example, the variant Nu Tirani appears in the Māori version of the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand and the Treaty of Waitangi. Whatever the spelling, this name is now rarely used as Māori no longer favour the use of transliterations from English.
↑ The long White Cloud Ao-tea-roa can be viewed online at Project Gutenberg.
↑ There are several other explanations of the origin of the word Aotearoa, of varying plausibility. Those that apply more to the South Island, relating to high snowy mountain ranges, or to the long Southern twilight, must be regarded with suspicion, given that Māori only used Aotearoa to refer to the North Island. One explanation derives the name from seafaring. The first sign of land from a boat is often cloud in the sky above the island. The North Island's mountain ranges sometimes generate standing waves of long lenticular clouds. Another explanation relates to the mountains of the North Island Volcanic Plateau. In some years, the mountains are snow-capped for limited periods.
1 2 McLintock, A. H., ed. (1966). "Aotearoa". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Te Araより2020年7月19日閲覧。
1 2 “God Defend New Zealand/Aotearoa | Ministry for Culture and Heritage” (英語). mch.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 2017年4月29日閲覧。
↑ Grey. “Polynesian Mythology and Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race”. New Zealand Texts Collection, Victoria University Of Wellington. 2013年4月27日閲覧。
↑ “Huia Tangata Kotahi”. New Zealand Digital Library, University of Waikato.. 2019年4月7日閲覧。
↑ “History of God Defend New Zealand”. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2011年10月27日). 2012年9月26日閲覧。