1883. F. S. Renwick, `Betrayed,' p. 41:
"'Tis the tangi floats on the seaborne breeze,
In its echoing notes of wild despair."
<hw>Taniwha</hw>, <i>n</i>. Maori name for a mythical monster.
1820. `Grammar and Vocabulary of Language of New Zealand' (Church Missionary Society), p. 207:
"Taniwa, <i>s</i>. a sea-monster so called."
1842. W. R. Wade, `Journey in New Zealand' (Hobart Town), p. 34:
"Hearing us use the word <i>tapu</i>, as we looked towards it, one of our boatmen quickly repeated that the place was tapued for the tanewa (a water demon). `And I wonder,' was his irreverent addition, `what this same tanewa may be! An old pot leg, perhaps!'"
1896. `Otago Witness,' Jan. 23, p. 51, col. 2:
"The river at one time is reported as having been infested with taniwhas—gigantic fish that used to swallow the natives—and a Maori pointed out a deep pool under some willows, and told me his grandfather had been seized by one of these monsters at that spot, dragged to the bottom and eaten. This taniwha, which was about forty feet in length and had a long mane, was in the habit of sometimes standing almost erect in the water, and frightening the women and children out of their wits. It had a tremendous-sized head, and its mouth somewhat resembled the beak of a very large bird. Its neck was about six feet in circumference and was covered with scales, as likewise its body down to its tail, which was formed by a series of fin-shaped projections, and somewhat resembled in form the tail of a grey duck. It had two short legs which were as big around as the body of a half-grown pig, and with one kick it could knock a hole through the stoutest canoe."
<hw>Tannergrams</hw>, <i>n</i>. very recent New Zealand slang. On 1st of June, 1896, the New Zealand Government reduced the price of telegrams to sixpence (slang, a `tanner') for twelve words.