Landmark, bilingual guide to Māori idioms and new reo-only editions out ahead of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

He Kete Kīwaha
A Practical Guide to Māori Idioms

Hona Black

Invaluable guide to more than 180 kīwaha (idioms) that can enrich te reo Māori speakers and learners at all levels

Plus He Iti te Kupu and Ngā Hapa Reo, Māori editions

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!

Idioms — the everyday turns of phrase that give a language its character — are a key part of speaking fluently, and te reo Māori is rich in them. 

This collection, whose title translates as ‘a basket of idioms’, is the first book on Māori kīwaha in more than 25 years, and the first bilingual one.

It publishes on 10 September, just in time for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which starts on Monday 14th.

Drawing on extensive research and consultation with te reo experts including Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and Te Haumihiata Mason, newly appointed professor of te reo Māori Hona Black offers a comprehensive guide to more than 180 idioms — presented in Māori on the left-hand pages, English on the right.

Using one, two or three kete symbols, He Kete Kīwaha grades each idiom for difficulty so readers can access language to suit their level. 

In addition to clear explanations, each entry has examples from written sources and others created by the author. There are also spaces for readers to add their own idioms to the mix.

As Hona Black writes in the introduction: ‘Above all, the hope is that this book will be of value to those who aspire to weave Māori idioms naturally into their language use.’

Also publishing on 10 September are te reo Māori editions of two of Hona's popular earlier books. 

             

He Iti te Kupu: Ngā Huahuatau me Ngā Kupu Whakarite contains nearly 500 metaphors and similes that draw a comparison between something (often the natural world) and people, events or contexts. It was first published in 2021 in Māori and English, and has sold over 10,000 copies.

Ngā Hapa Reo, co-written by Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell and published bilingually in 2024, identifies the main errors that crop up in modern Māori, offering examples and then guiding readers on how to make corrections.

These Māori-only editions target learners in Māori-medium schools and immersion classes, and proficient speakers who don’t need the support of English.

The original bilingual editions remain in print, of course! 

Kia kaha te reo Māori!

The author 

Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is the inaugural professor of te reo Māori at Te Kawa a Māui at Te Herenga Waka, University of Wellington. He was previously a lecturer in Māori at Massey University in Palmerston North. 

Hona is the author of He Iti te Kupu: Māori Metaphors and Similes, Te Reo Kapekape: Māori Wit and Humour and, with Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell, Ngā Hapa Reo: Common Māori Language Errors. He is from the Ruātoki Valley, and lives with his whānau in Porirua.

HE KETE KĪWAHA

Publication: 10 September 2026  |  ISBN: 9781991353030  |  RRP $45

Paperback, 210 x 248 mm portrait, 408 pages, black & white

HE ITI TE KUPU (MĀORI EDITION)
Publication: 10 September 2026 | ISBN: 9781991353085 | RRP $34.99  Paperback, 210 x 148 mm, 124 pages, black & white

NGĀ HAPA REO (MĀORI EDITION)

Publication: 10 September 2026 | ISBN: 9781991353092 | RRP $34.99

 Paperback, 210 x 148 mm, 176 pages, black & white

Correcting common errors in te reo Māori for all levels of students and speakers

Ngā Hapa Reo: Common Māori Language Errors
Hona Black and Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell

Bilingual addition to Oratia’s te reo reference series explains and corrects common errors in Māori

Māori language teachers and consultants Hona Black and Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell hear a lot of common errors in te reo, not only in the courses they teach but also among fluent speakers. 

That motivated the pair to write Ngā Hapa Reo, making readers aware of common Māori language errors and how to right them, so that the reo can flourish in the future.

 

From choosing between awhi and āwhina, to the importance of tohutō (macrons), to whether to address a friend as ‘Hēmi’ or ‘e Hēmi’ — the new book deals with word choice, grammar, interference from English and more. It profiles more than 150 common errors, with explanations about how to correct them.

Chapter openings are in Māori on left-hand pages and English on the right, while examples are profiled on one page, making this bilingual book accessible to readers of all levels of fluency.

 

Ngā Hapa Reo adds to Oratia's language reference series, which includes Hona's books He Iti te Kupu: Māori Metaphors and Similes and Te Reo Kapekape: Māori Wit and Humour.

Published in time for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, this new work fills a gap in the market for language resources. 

The authors

Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) lectures on teaching for Māori medium schools at Massey University, Palmerston North. This is his third book about te reo Māori. Hona lives in Porirua with his partner and their son. 

Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Apa) is a Māori language and education consultant for Haemata Limited. He has a keen interest in governance and holds several directorships. Te Aorangi lives in Whakatāne with his family.

Publication: 2 September 2024 | ISBN: 978-1-99-004259-1 | RRP $39.99

Paperback, 210 x 148 mm portrait, 196 pages, b&w

Updated version of classic dictionary explains key vocabulary in te reo Māori

Illustrated Māori Dictionary

Māori–English Essentials

A.W. Reed

Illustrated by Roger Hart

Two outstanding talents came together to create one of New Zealand’s very first illustrated dictionaries in 1965. 

 

Publisher and author A.W. (Clif) Reed and illustrator Roger Hart created this book in 1965, understanding that pictures provide an invaluable aid in the process of language learning. 

Then called Maori Picture Dictionary, the book concisely explained the meaning and use of essential Māori words, with two drawings per page.  

Now this classic work is back as the Illustrated Māori Dictionary, in an expanded edition that preserves the retro design style of the original. 

Editor and translator Ross Calman (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa, Kāi Tahu) has updated the text to reflect modern usage.

 

That includes harmonisation of macrons — which Reed adopted early for the original book — to mark long vowels.

Not only a handy reference work, this fascinating Māori-English dictionary represents a classic of Kiwi publishing. 

It adds to Oratia’s list of te reo reference works, and our New Zealand Classic series that brings important books back into print.

The author

A.W. Reed (1908–1979) was one of New Zealand’s most influential writers and publishers. He helped build A.H. & A.W. Reed into the country’s leading publisher by the mid-twentieth century, and authored more than 200 books. Among his numerous works still in print are Oratia Books’ Māori Place Names, Favourite Māori Legends and He Atua, He Tangata: The World of Māori Mythology. 

Publication: 16 August 2022  |  RRP $34.99  |  ISBN:  978-1-99-004213-3

Paperback, 210 x 148 mm, 144 pages, b&w