A single man or woman.
A widow.
Puhi.
A betrothed female, also a female of rank restricted from marriage.
A betrothed female. N.B.—There is a distinction between a [Puhi] and a wahine taumaro. The betrothed female is a [Puhi] in reference to her father’s act of consent, and a wahine taumaro in reference to her future father-in-law’s act of consent to the arrangement.
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VOCABULARY
OF SOME MAORI WORDS REQUIRING EXPLANATION.
Ihi has the sense of tapu when occurring in karakia, or invocations of spirits.
Kahukahu, the spirit of the germ of a human being: also called Atua noho-whare, or house-dwelling Atua. Verbi kahukahu significatio simplex est panniculus; et panniculus quo utitur femina menstrualis nomine kahukahu dicitur κατ’ ἐξοχὴν. Apud populum Novæ Zelandæ creditur sanguinem utero sub tempus menstruale effusum continere germina hominis; et secundùm præcepta veteris superstitionis panniculus sanguine menstruali imbutus habebatur sacer (tapu), haud aliter quàm si formam humanam accepisset: mulierum autem mos est [pg 108] hos panniculos intra juncos parietum abdere; et hâc de causâ paries est domûs pars adeo sacra ut nemo illi innixus sedere audeat.