whenua
1. (noun) land - often used in the plural.
E mea atu ana ahau ki a koutou me whakawhirinaki tātou ki a Tā Āpirana Ngata. Ka taea e ia te wetewete ngā powhiwhi e pā ana ki ngā whenua Māori (TTT 1/3/1929:940). / I am saying to you all that we should rely on Sir Āpirana Ngata. He will be able to unravel the complications concerning Māori lands.
E nui ana te whakaaro o te tangata Māori ki tōna whenua. E tika ana hoki. Ko te matua tērā i tupu ai te oranga mōna, inā hoki, te kōrero onamata 'Ko Rongomātāne, ko Haumia-tiketike i oma ki te whenua.' (TKP 17/9/1857:2). / The Māori person had great respect for his land. And that is appropriate. It is the source that provides sustenance for him because the traditional saying is 'Rongomātāne (atua of cultivated food) and Haumia-tiketike (atua of uncultivated food) fled to the land.'
2. (noun) country, land, nation, state.
Ko ngā Kōtimana e noho ana i Rānana i nui kē ake i ō rātou tāngata e noho ana i tō rātou whenua tupu, i te Pā i Erinipara (TW 11/9/1875:209). / The Scottish people living in London are more numerous than the people living in the City of Edinburgh in their own land.
Synonyms: iwi, kīngitanga, tuawhenua, taiwhenua, motu, oneone, uta
3. (noun) ground.
Kua hōhonu ki te whenua ngā pakiaka o te rākau e kore e taea te huhuti (TWM 17/7/1869:1). / The roots of the tree are deep into the ground and cannot be pulled out.
4. (noun) territory, domain.
Haere mai ki Rotorua, te whenua o Ngāti Whakaue, moana kau (TWMNT 24/2/1874:45). / Welcome to Rotorua, the domain of Ngāti Whakaue, which is principally lake.
5. (noun) placenta, afterbirth.
Kāore i roa i muri mai i te whānautanga ka puta mai te whenua (PK 2008:1170). / Not long after the birth the placenta appeared.
