Story: Māori manners and social behaviour – Ngā mahi tika

Terms for family members

Roll your cursor over this graphic to see how the terms for various members and generations of a Māori extended family are connected with each other. The terms 'mātāmua' (firstborn child) and 'pōtiki' (youngest child) apply to both males and females. The terms 'tuakana' (elder) and 'tēina' (younger) apply only to the relationship between same-sex siblings. 

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Mark Derby, 'Māori manners and social behaviour – Ngā mahi tika - Kinship, families and marae', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/interactive/41184/terms-for-family-members (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Mark Derby, published 5 Sep 2013