2006-10-25 18:03:38 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Yea..! An, they have longer words than the Welsh even...!
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikiiflaung-
ahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, frxample.
Means, "The brow of a hill where Tamatea, the man with the big knees who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, who travelled the land, played his flute to his loved one."
Not the sort of thing you'd hear much in Manchester from a New Labour organiser.
2006-10-25 18:41:13 · answer #1 · answered by Solange B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not a word, it is a place on the North Island of New Zealand. It is pronounced in traditional Maori phonetics as FAH (rather than WHA) so Fah-Kah-Ta-Nay. You may have heard it used as a word in conversation because a lot of people like to use it as a joke because of the pronunciation. The history of the town's name is as follows:-
The name Whakatane commemorates an incident occurring after the arrival of the Mataatua. The men had gone ashore and the canoe began to drift. Wairaka, a chieftainess, said “Ka Whaka tane au i ahau” (“I will make myself a man”), and commenced to paddle, and with the help of the other women saved the canoe.
2006-10-26 01:30:36 · answer #2 · answered by nativeAZ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a city in New Zealand. For more information, click on the site below from Wilkpedia Encyclopedias.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whakatane
2006-10-26 03:49:05 · answer #3 · answered by Liam Somerfield 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is most certainly a place in New Zealand, I know because I have actually been there! And very nice place it is!
However I am ashamed to say that I do not know what it means, but if you ever get to meet a MAORI, they would tell you, because that is what it is A MAORI word. Better still, why not go there if you get the chance, and find out for yourself.
2006-10-29 17:11:58 · answer #4 · answered by SUPER-GLITCH 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need someone from the land of the long white cloud to answer this, and I don't know, however to pronounce it the wh is sounded as an F. It may even need a Maori as there are many names in the area similar.
2006-10-26 01:28:06 · answer #5 · answered by sharky 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a City/Town in North New Zeland
2006-10-28 07:47:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought "That sounds like a place in New Zealand" . Good guess!
2006-10-26 01:24:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hawaian for BIG FART...honest, i swear...
2006-10-26 01:06:29 · answer #8 · answered by Hacker 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
what? i cant even say the word!
2006-10-26 01:05:11 · answer #9 · answered by RAGE FURY 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋