KOTAHITANGA | COLUMN | TE AO MĀORI | WHAKAKĀINGA / HOME
Written by Hirimaia Eketone (they/them) | @hiri_music | TE AO MĀORI EDITOR
“ngenge”
Kia ora e hoa ma,
Welcome to the first of many ‘Kotahitanga - Expanding Our World’ columns, where I teach you the meaning of a specific Māori word and demonstrate how you utilise it in your day-to-day conversations. I believe as a nation we should be past the simple “Kia ora” and “Kei te pehea koe” by now, so follow along with each issue as I try to inject a little more reo into your life.
Today’s word, under this week's theme, is “ngenge.” I associate ngenge with “home” as it is a Māori verb for “tired, sleepy, weary.” You would use this in conjunction with “moe”, which is the adverb for “sleep.” As university students, part-time/full-time workers and more, “ngenge” is such an easy word to add to our vocabulary as a description of something we all experience. Whenever someone asks you how you are, simply say, “I am very ngenge today,” or, in Māori, “He tino ngenge au/ahau.” This small verb can be used in a plethora of settings and is a great addition to your daily vocabulary!
Adapting te reo Māori into your everyday life is something that becomes less daunting the more you do it. Teach your friends, whanau and teachers simply by utilising this word. The path to te reo inclusion and acceptance starts with small steps that I believe we are all capable of. I’ll leave you with a whakataukī, or Māori proverb to start your university term right.
“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.”
What is the most important thing in the world? The people, the people, the people.
Mauri ora!
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