| Marama 1. Month, light. The ancient names of the month were: Tua haro, Tehetu'upú, Tarahao, Vaitu nui, Vaitu poru, He Maro, He Anakena, Hora iti, Hora nui, Tagaroa uri, Ko Ruti, Ko Koró. 2. Name of an ancient tribe. Maramara, ember. Vanaga.
Light, day, brightness, to glimmer; month; intelligent, sensible; no tera marama, monthly; marama roa, a long term; horau marama no iti, daybreak; hakamarama, school, to glimmer; hare hakamarama, school, classroom. P Mgv.: màràma, the light, daylight; maràma, wise, learned, instructed, moon. Mq.: maáma, light, broad day, bright, instructed, learned; meama, moon, month. Ta.: marama, moon, month. In form conditionalis this word seems derivative from lama, in which the illuminating sense appears in its signification of a torch. The sense of light, and of specifically the moon, appears in all Polynesia; in Futuna and Uvea the word signifies the world. The tropical extension to the light of intelligence is not found in Nuclear Polynesia, therefore not in the Proto-Samoan, but is a later Tongafiti development. Maramarama, bright; manava maramarama, intelligent. P Pau.: maramarama, intelligent. Ta.: maramarama, light, brightness. Churchill.
The month sense is found in Tahiti, Marquesas, Rarotonga and Maori associated with the moon signification, and in Hawaii is specifically dissociated therefrom to characterize a solar month. Churchill 2. |
