whare

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


Maori word for a house;a dissyllable, variously spelt, rhyming with `quarry.'It is often quaintly joined with English words; e.g. a sod-whare, a cottage built with sods. In a Maorivocabulary, the following are given: whare-kingi,a castle; whare-karakia, a church; whare-here,the lock-up.

1820. `Grammar and Vocabulary of Language of New Zealand'(Church Missionary Society), p. 225:

«Ware, s. a house, a covering.»

1833. `Henry Williams' Journal: Carleton's Life,' p. 151:

«The Europeans who were near us in a raupo whare(rush house).»

1845. E. J. Wakefield, `Adventures in New Zealand,' vol. i.p. 26:

«We were much amused at seeing the ware-puni, or sleeping-houses, of the natives. These are exceedingly low, and coveredwith earth, on which weeds very often grow. They resemble inshape and size a hot-bed with the glass off.»

1852. G. C. Mundy, `Our Antipodes,' c. x. p. 265 (ThirdEdition, 1855):

«Sitting in the sun at the mouth of his warree, smoking hispipe.»

1854. W. Golder, `Pigeons' Parliament,' [Notes] p. 76:

«I fell upon what I thought a good place on which to fix mywarre, or bush-cottage.»

1857. `Paul's Letters from Canterbury,' p. 89:

«Then pitch your tent, or run up a couple of grass warres somewhat bigger than dog-kennels.»

1871. C. L. Money, `Knocking About in New Zealand,' p. 33:

«The old slab wharry.»

Ibid. p. 132:

«The village was sacked and the wharries one after another setfire to and burnt.'»

1877. Anon., `Colonial Experiences or Incidents of Thirty-FourYears in New Zealand,' p. 87:

«In the roughest colonial whare there is generally one or moreplaces fitted up called bunks.»

1882. R. C. Barstow, `Transactions of the New ZealandInstitute,' vol. xv. art. liii. p. 428:

«Raupo whares were put up.»

1889. `Cornhill Magazine,' Jan., p. 35:

«Ten minutes more brought us to my friend's `whare,' – – the Maoriname for house.»

1886. `Otago Witness,' Jan. 23, p. 42:

«The pas close at hand give up their population, – – only theblind, the sick, and the imbecile being left to guard thegrimy, smoke-dried whares.»