Te Waipounamu

/ tə hwaɪˈpoːnɑːmuː /

noun

1. a Māori name for New Zealand's South Island

Word History and Origins

Origin of Te Waipounamu¹

Māori, literally: water and greenstone, from the presence of this stone on the South Island

Example Sentences

Many listeners said they were unhappy with Lloyd referring to New Zealand by its Te Reo name of Aotearoa, and to the North and South Islands by their Te Reo names of Te Ika-a-Maui and Te Waipounamu.

Read more on The Guardian

In Maori, they will be called Te Ika-a-Maui and Te Waipounamu, which mean ''the fish of Maui'' and ''the waters of greenstone'' respectively.

Read more on BBC