E tipu, e rea,
Mo nga ra o tau ao;
Ko to ringa ki nga rakau a te Paheka
Hei ara mo to tinana,
Ko to ngakau ki nga taonga a o tipuna Maori
Hei tikitiki mo to mahuna,
A, ko to wairua ki to Atua,
Nana nei nga mea katoa.

Tena koutou katoa,

Kai te mihi atu; kai te tangi atu ki nga mate kua mene atu ki te pa. Ratau nga manu tioriori o nga pari karangaranga me nga kaka wahanui o te waonui a Tane. E au tonu te hoki o nga mahara ki a Ta Apirana Ngata raua ko tana mokopuna a Hori Mahue. Na Hori tenei pukapuka taki kupu i timata ake i runga i te wawata kia mahue he taonga hai awhina i nga tauira o tenei reo rangatira. No reira, ko ratau ki a ratau, tatau te hunga ora, tena ana tatau katoa.

This dictionary is the culmination of more than three decades of work begun by Hori Mahue Ngata. Its purpose is to give students access to the richness of the Maori language, which is the key to understanding the richness of the culture. As such, this dictionary represents a valuable aid in understanding Maori as a dynamic language.

The Ministry of Education has felt privileged to participate in the development of this significant work. This dictionary will assist students of the language and others interested in it to gain a fuller understanding of this taonga, te reo Maori.

No reira, e mihi atu ana ki a koutou nana i awhi, i tautoko te putanga o tenei mapihi pounamu.

Ko te pae tawhiti, whaia kia tata Ko te pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.

Naku noa, na

Dr Maris O'Rourke
Secretary for Education (1993)