Anyway, here below, to help you out, in no particular order, is a rough literal translation of the names of some common departments and ministries (based first on the Māori-English dictionaries of Williams (1844), and then Ryan (1983), and then Google Translate for more recent neologisms like Kaipāho, Manatū, Haumaru, Konihana etc). Many seem more about poetry -- sometimes good poetry -- than they do about communicating well ("Memory Room" for archives sounds good, and who wouldn't like the "Power of Distant Lightning"; whereas "Stranger Service" sounds like something that might be offered just off K Rd).
So, often, only those in the know would know...
[UPDATE 1:Te Pūkenga (NZ Institute of Skills & Technology) The Wise PersonHe Puapua (2019 report by the Ardern Administration) Some Seeds orA Break in the Waves orSome Female GenitalsHuman Rights Commission (Te Kāhui Tika Tangata) The Correct People ClusterTe Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) Expensive Box
Māori Language Commission (ki Te Taura Whiri) Towards the Platted Rope]
Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) The Woven Garment of Health
Māori Health Authority (Te Aka Whai Ora) The Root of Life
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (ki Hīkina Whakatutuki) To Launch Performance
Ministry of Social Development (Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora) The Ministry of Life Creation
NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) One Canoe
Broadcasting Standards Authority (Te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho) Controlling Broadcaster Behaviour
WorkSafe New Zealand (Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa) Work Safely NZ
? (Whānau Ora) Healthy Families
Ministry for Primary Industries (Manatū Ahu Matua) Ministry of the Main Dimension
Ministry for the Environment (Manatū Mō Te Taiao) Ministry About the Wide World
Ministry for Culture and Heritage (Te Manatū Taonga) Ministry of Treasures
Commerce Commission (Te Konihana Tauhokohoko) The Marketing Convention
Earthquake Commission (Kōmihana Rūwhenua) Commission (for) Shaking Land
Education New Zealand (Manapou ki te Ao) Hope to the World
New Zealand Qualifications Authority (Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Knowledge Brand Authority of NZ
Inland Revenue Department (Te Tari Taake) The Snare of Other's Possessions
Productivity Commission (Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa) Commission for the Benefit of NZ
Ministry of Housing & Urban Development (Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga) The Foundation of Precious Homes
Pharmac (Te Pātaka Whaioranga) The Storehouseof Privacyfor Wellbeing
Reserve Bank of New Zealand (Te Pūtea Matua) The Main Fund
Ministry of Justice (Tāhū o te Ture) Ridge Pole of the Law
Ministry of Defence (Manatū Kaupapa Waonga) Ministry of the Fleet of Forestry Canoes
Ministry of Education (Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga) The Ridgepole of the Knowledge
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Te Manatū Aorere) The Ministry of Flight
Office of Treaty Settlements (Te Kāhui Whakatau) The Intent Swarm
Civil Aviation Authority (Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa) Public Aeroplane Authority of NZLand Information New Zealand (Toitu te Whenua) Salt the Earth
Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry for Māori Development) The Action Camp
Electricity Authority (NZ) (Te Mana Hiko) Power of Distant LightningCrown Law Office (Te Tari Ture o te Karauna) Crown Law Office
Department of Conservation (Te Papa Atawhai) The Fostering Box
Department of Corrections (Ara Poutama Aotearoa) Incantation Pathway NZ
Department of Internal Affairs (Te Tari Taiwhenua) The District Office
Immigration New Zealand (Te Ratonga Manene) The Service for Strangers
Archives New Zealand (Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga) The Memory Room of the Governorship
Local Government Commission (Mana Kāwanatanga ā Rohe) District Governorship Power
New Zealand Lottery Grants Board (Te Puna Tahua) The Money Source
National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Wellspring Of Knowledge NZ
New Zealand Passports Office (Nga Uruwhenua) The Land Rites
New Zealand Citizenship Office (Te Raraunga) The Data
Translation Service, The (Te Pūtahi Whakawhiti Reo) The Crossroads Carrying Across Language
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet(Te Tari o te Pirimia me te Komiti Matua) Office of the Premier & the First Committee
Education Review Office (Te Tari Arotake Matauranga) Office Reviewing Knowledge
4 comments:
There are several incorrect translations in this list. E.g. 'taiao' can mean world, but it also means Earth, environment and natural world (not "wide world"). 'Whaioranga' doesn't mean 'privacy', it means health/wellbeing. Breaking the word into its 3 parts 'whai' 'ora' 'nga' makes the translation clear - this must be a typo or one of the Google translations (Google should not be used to translate reo Māori as it doesn't have enough understanding of te reo to translate accurately).
Just as many words in English can have multiple meanings, so too can kupu (words) in reo Māori. Using a Māori-English dictionary written over 150 years ago (in 1844), when native-English speakers hadn't fully grasped the nuance of reo Māori, is not an effective way to translate in 2023, unless you mean to say you used the updated version of 1993 rather than the original of 1844? Even then, a dictionary that's 20 years old is not necessarily going to be as accurate for translation compared to a current, and regularly updated dictionary such as Te Aka - Māori Dictionary: https://maoridictionary.co.nz/
Hey Mei, thanks for your comment. Appreciate it. Truly.
I don't claim these to be "correct" translations by the standards of the modern bureaucracy. Instead, if language is intended to be a tool of communication, I wondered what they would communicate to one who had prior knowledge of the language, but not of the various departments and ministries of the modern bureaucracy --as if Rip Van Winkle had woken up after many years asleep, and to guide him in what these department do had only the Māori names and his prior knowledge of te reo.
Hence the use of the older dictioniaries: the Williams, first published 1844 (my version is the 5th edition, published 1932), and the Ryan, first published 1974 (my version is reprinted in 1987) -- both well before te reo was politicised.
So happy to see your pushback, offering a comparison as to how the words might be interpreted *now.*
So, here was my procedure with those two words (this is me re-checking, since I didn't take notes):
"Taiao":
-- first, the Williams gives this as either "world," or "country, district."
-- the Ryan gives it as "universe; wider world." Taken together, it seems to suggest an opening out of the view, so "wider world" seemed appropriate.
"Whaioranga:
-- the Williams doesn't have it as a complete word. But has "whai" in several forms, from "possessing, equipped with" to "becoming" to "a spell to cure wounds and other injuries." "Ora" it has as "alive," "well in health,' "recover" etc. And nga, obviously, is the plural article.
-- the Ryan does not have "whaioronga" either, but does have "whaioro," which it has as "encounter." So "whaioronga" would be "encounters," I guess. (Galt knows how I got privacy from that). Also, "whai" = possessing; "ora" = "alive; well; full."
So this is where I repaired to Google Translate, to help fill in the gaps.
Google Translate gives "whaioranga" as privacy - which, as you say, is weird when you see how the word is made up. (FWIW, as a comparison, Te Aka gives it as both "beneficial, economic" and "health, wellbeing."
So where does that leave us? Te Pataka Whaioranga is clearly a storehouse of something. But you're probably right that "privacy" makes little sense. So let's maybe agree that our Rip Van Winkle might see it as The Storehouse for Wellbeing. Which he might visit seeking a pharmacist.
PS: Yes, I'm familiar with the official online Maori Dictionary (Te Aka), but it seems to have been regularly updated with what we might call "officially authorised back translations" of several of the department/ministry names. So not denying its value, but it didn't quite fit the bill for this exercise. A bit too much like looking at the answers in the back of the book.
Curiously, as far as the name "Te Aka" itself goes, the Williams has "aka" as either "(n) long and thin roots of trees or plants" or "(v) clean off or scrape away." And the Ryan updates this to either "vine, creeper," or "scour."
Which the online Maori Dictionary itself, which calls itself Te Aka, translates "aka" as "vine of any climbing plant, long and thin roots."
Which only goes to show, right.
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