Tēnā koutou, e ngā rangatira

The latest collection of new and changed Ngā Upoko Tukutuku terms are now available for use on the National Library website. The open data page has also been updated, using a new process to generate the files. As far as we can tell, there should be no issues, but please contact reo@dia.govt.nz if you have any difficulties with loading the files into your database.

Below is a selection of the changes - please explore the website for the full list.

Nga Upoko Tukutuku terms may be used to describe unpublished as well as published collections, and we welcome requests for terms relating to all kinds of resources. As usual, we’d love to have more requests to work on, whatever the nature of the material you are describing - tukua mai ōu whakaaro mō ngā ingoa me tāpiri anō ki te pae tukutuku!

If you can’t find an existing term, and you can't find an existing term in our thesaurus to suit your item, please email reo@dia.govt.nz with your suggestion and the details of what you were working on. Suggestions in English where you don't know a Māori term are very welcome. One of our new terms for this release is ‘Rere,’ so please get those requests flying in and we'll add them to our worklist.

Ngā kaupapa hou — Haratua, Mei | New terms — May 2026

New terms have been interlaced into Ngā Upoko Tukutuku to describe concepts ranging from the women’s rights movement to the economy, the environment, and the human body.

Ara tātai -- Destiny

Kaikorohiti – Chiropractors

Kahu tākaro – Sports uniforms

Kai kōhua – Boil-up

Kakīroa – Giraffes

Kiwa -- A demigod associated with Te Moana Nui ā-Kiwa

Mātāpono – Principles

Mātātuhi kārikiōrangi -- Cyanotypes

Niho – Human teeth

Ngutu riwha – Cleft palate

Papangarua – Quilts

Pāpātanga hua moni – Interest rates

Pūngao hau -- Wind energy

Pūrātoke  -- Glowworms

Rere – Movement

Takaroa – The Kāi Tahu term for Tangaroa

Tarapouahi – A garment that incorporates a woven band supporting loose strands of harakeke fibre

Tohe mana wāhine – Movements for women’s rights

Tokorau – Separation, Divorce

Tūmahi – Verbs

Wētā punga – Giant weta

Tāngata | People

We added the term Mātāpono to describe many kinds of principles, including constitutional principles, iwi strategic principles, learning principles, and principles in the context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This broad term can be combined with other terms to convey the specific nature of the principles described. Please note that Mātāpono does not encompass scientific principles.

The new term Tohe mana wāhine was included to convey concepts of women’s rights and collective movements for women’s rights. We also adjusted the English scope note for Mana wahine, the female element, to make it clear that it is not appropriate to use this term for contemporary western feminism.

Another new kupu is Tokorau, which describes divorce or separation in the context of personal relationships. We noted that marriage pre-colonisation did not entail the transfer of property and was not an economic transaction.

Ōhanga | Economy

We shifted Whakahaere rawa (Resource management) from sitting under Taiao (Environment) to Ohanga (Economy). This reflects the common usage of the word “rawa” to refer to economic resources. The phrase Whakahaere rawa implies a transactional approach, which does not seem appropriate in the context of care for the Taiao and for Papatūānuku. We added an English scope note to Whakahaere rawa to make this clear to descriptive staff.

The new term Pāpātanga hua moni conveys the concept of interest rates, with a reference from the loan term Pāpātanga itareti.

Taiao | Environment

The economy relies on the environment within which it exists. Pūngao hau (Wind energy) has been added as a narrower concept of the broad category Pūngao (Energy). Pūngao brings together other terms for renewable energy, such as Pūngao kōmaru, the energy from the sun’s rays, and Pūngao hiko, which refers to electrical energy in general.

We also added the term Rere, which describes movement in a very broad sense, from water running, to time, birds, kites, and airplanes flying. However, a narrower term should be used if appropriate.

Moving from the physical to the biological environment, there is now a new term for Pūrātoke, which refers to glowworms in their larval stage, but not the adult fly. Pūrātoke sits under the broader concept Ngāngara, which is a collective term for invertebrate animals, including insects, worms, centipedes, gastropods, and various larvae. A term for Wētā punga, the giant wētā, has also been included.

Tīnana | Human body

Our bodies exist within the environment, and we have added new terms to convey aspects of human health and the human body. These include Niho (Teeth), Ngutu riwha (Cleft palate) and Kaikorohiti (Chiropractors). Kaikorohiti may also be used to describe the Chiropractic discipline.

Clothing protects and adorns the human body. The new term Tarapouahi describes a garment that incorporates a woven band supporting loose strands of harakeke fibre. The Tairāwhiti Museum includes images of Tarapouahi.

Food is also vital for physical well-being and we have added a term for Kai kōhua (Boil-up), a comforting prospect as winter approaches!

Noho ora mai

Nā ngā kaimahi o Te Whakakaokao