Meanings
- human sciencesOne of a legendary fair-skinned fairy folk said to have inhabited Polynesia before the arrival of human beings.
Long ago, the summit of Ngongotahā, called Te Tūāhu a te Atua (The Altar of the God), was the home of a mysterious people called the Patupaiarehe.
“Īhenga and the Patupaiarehe”, in GTAS2 more examples
In Maori tradition the Patupaiarehe (also sometimes referred to as turehu or pakepakeha) were the first people of New Zealand – the first Tangata Whenua.
2016 October 12, T M Rowe, “Patupaiarehe – The Fairy Folk of New Zealand”, in T M Rowe – WriterIn Māori traditions, patupaiarehe are fairy-like people who live in the forest or on the misty mountain tops. Sometimes they are called tūrehu or pakepakehā.
“Story: Patupaiarehe”, in Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Origin
- Māoripatupaiarehe
- Māoripatupaiarehe
- Englishpatupaiarehe
Borrowed from Māori patupaiarehe.
More words from Māori
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
patupaiarehe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patupaiarehe
“patupaiarehe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patupaiarehe. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “patupaiarehe,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patupaiarehe.
Source: patupaiarehe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.