matau

See also: mātau, matáu, mataʻu, and mata'u

Lithuanian

Verb

matau

1. first-person singular present of matyti

Maori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mataqu (“fishhook”). Compare Tahitian matau, Hawaiian makau.

Noun

matau

1. fishhook
2. hookgrass

Derived terms

• matau a Māui (“Carex uncinata”)
• Te Matau-a-Māui (“Cape Kidnappers, Fishhook of Maui”)

Further reading

• “matau” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Samoan

Noun

matau

1. ax