Matariki

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Maori Matariki, short for ngā +‎ mata +‎ o +‎ te +‎ ariki +‎ o +‎ Tāwhirimātea, meaning "the eyes of the [wind] god Tāwhirimātea". In Māori legend, the Pleiades star cluster which it is named after was from Tāwhirimātea's plucked eyes.

Proper noun

Matariki

  1. The season, in late May or early June, when the Pleiades star cluster first rises, treated as the beginning of the new year by the Maori.
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