1918.] The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 29 
a cubit (literally, “ an arm-joint ”). Hei te tuke ringa te roa, te whanui, te 
hohonu hoki o taua waro = The length, width, and depth of that pit was 
a cubit. Occasionally the statement is more precise, as in Kia kotahi 
te roa o te tuke ringaringa, a tae noa ki te mapere, te roa o taua pou — The 
height of that post should be one arm-joint, right out to the middle finger. 
Again, a more unusual form is Ko te.roa koia kei te take o te ringa a tae noa 
ki te pito o roto o te kapu o te ringaringa tangata = The length is that from 
the elbow as far as the inner end of the palm of the human arm. 
This cubit unit was employed in many ways, one of which was in spacing 
the parua, or basin-shaped holes in which the taro ( Colocasia antiquorum) 
was planted. 
The Tumu or Pakihiwi.' —Both of these terms denote the shoulder. As 
names of a unit of measurement they mean the full arm-length, from 
shoulder to finger-tips. Apparently the hau, or half-fathom, was much more 
generally employed than the tumu. 
The Hau or Wahanga —The hau is half the mdro (fathom). As the 
latter consists of the span of the two extended arms, the hau or half mdro 
is the distance from the middle of the body to the finger-tips. The word 
wahanga means a division or portion of anything. Examples : Kotahi te 
hau me te tuke = One hau and a cubit. Kia kotahi te hau te whanui = Let 
the width be one hau . Ko nga pou matua kia kotahi te hau ki te whenua = 
Let the main posts be sunk one hau in the earth. The hau is, roughly 
speaking, a measure of about 3 ft. 
There is some evidence to show that two measures between the hau 
and the mdro were occasionally used ; no specific names for them have 
been collected. One was the distance from the finger-tips of the extended 
arm across the body to the opposite shoulder, while the other was the 
same plus the length of the upper part of the other arm. To denote this 
latter measurement the right arm is extended horizontally, while the left 
arm is raised in a bent form, the upper arm only being horizontal, as the 
measurement terminates at the elbow. This measure is termed tuke in 
some districts. 
Pakihiwi maro, or Pakihiwi. —In the fifth edition of Williams’s Maori 
Dictionary these terms are given as “ the measure from one shoulder to 
the extended fingers of the other hand.” Examples : Te roa o taua taniwha 
e rua pakihiwi maro. Tena, whangangatia te rakau , e hia nga pakihiwi. 
Th e -Metro, or Whanganga, or Aronui. —This is the fathom, the span 
of the arms outstretched horizontally. As verbs, whanga and whanganga 
mean “ to measure with extended arms or fingers.” A log or a canoe 
would be measured by means of the extended arms-—that is to say, in 
fathoms. The finger-span, or lesser whanganga, is, of course, used only 
when measuring short objects. Examples : Of whanganga : Kia waru 
whanganga te roa o te whare = Make the length of the house eight fathoms. 
Ko te roa e rua whanganga me te hau = The length is two fathoms and a 
hau (i.e., 2| fathoms). Of whanganga as a verb : Whangangatia te rakau 
na — Measure yon log. Of aronui : Kotahi te aronui me te tuke — One 
fathom and a cubit. Kia hokorua ma wha nga aronui == Make it twenty- 
four fathoms. Of mdro : Ko tona roa e wha maro, ko te ivhanui kotahi 
maro = Its length is four fathoms, the width one fathom. 
Occasionally in narrative the unit is not specified, but is understood ; 
as, He ngarara nui tenei, e waru te roa = This was a huge reptile, eight the 
length. Here maro is understood. 
The terms maro and kumi are both employed in Polynesia as measure¬ 
ment terms. 
