Harakeke, Whararahi

Phormium tenax (Xanthorrhoeaceae)

Origin and whakapapa of the name:
1. Proto Austronesian: *pangudaN (Pandanus spp., esp. P. tectorius )
2. Proto Malayo-Polynesian: *pangdan (Pandanus tectorius)
3. Proto Oceanic: *padran (Pandanus tectorius)
7. Proto Polynesian: *fara (Pandanus tectorius), Coastal pandanus

*PangudaN is a word that seems to have had many changes in form but few in meaning – it refers to Pandanus species throughout the tropical Pacific, and to plants with similarly sheathing leaves in Aotearoa. Whara (and its variant hara-) is one of only two Māori plant names that we know for sure originated in Taiwan. Although “pangudaN” seems quite different from “whara”, the changes took place in small stages over many centuries, especially in Oceanic languages, as it journeyed here through the Philippines and the Western Pacific. (You can read more about that on the web pages.) Whararahi literally means “ large whara”.

Plants with a related name:
Whara, wharawhara, kōwharawhara, pūwharawhara, Astelia spp. Wharariki, Phormium colensoi.

Harakeke, Whararahi

Phormium tenax (Xanthorrhoeaceae)

Related names in other Polynesian languages:
Tongan, Niuean: fā (Pandanus tectorius)
Samoan: fala (Pandanus tectorius)
Marquesan: fa'a, ha'a (Pandanus tectorius)
Hawaiian: hala (Pandanus tectorius)
Tahitian, Tuamotuan: fara (Pandanus tectorius)
Rarotongan: 'ara (Pandanus tectorius)

Related names in other Austronesian languages
Paiwan (Taiwan): pangudall (Pandanus tectorius)"Fragrant screw pine"
Ilocano (Philippines): pangdan (Pandanus tectorius)
Tagalog (Philippines): pandan (Pandanus tectorius)
Wayan (Fiji): vadra (Pandanus tectorius)

It’s easy to see why the early Polynesian explorers may have named the harakeke and wharariki (Phormium colensoi), along with various Astelias, after the Pandanus, which was used for many of the same purposes (e.g. weaving a wide variety of mats and other useful goods), and whose long, tapering leaves emerged from a similar sheathing base. The related names in tropical Polynesia all refer to varieties of Pandanus; this tree does not grow in Aotearoa. It is quite possible that the early voyagers did bring plants with them, along with the kumara and hue, but, if so, these did not thrive in the new environment. As well as for weaving, the harakeke also has important medicinal uses.

Links to further information on the web site (not yet fully phone-friendly):
*Fara (History and Polynesian plants);
Whara (Generic name and Phormium spp.; Wharawhara (Astelia spp.).