Spring – kōanga
In the middle of a bunch of blossoming flowers is a raging bull. The spring has caused cow anger.
Summer – raumati
If you know anyone named Matthew (or Marty), imagine them rowing a boat really fast under the blazing summer sun while onlookers shout “Row Matty!”
Autumn – ngahuru
A line of prostitutes stand on a street under some falling leaves. The autumn leaves are falling near whores.
Winter – hōtoke
In the middle of a wintry snowstorm, a woman stands drinking a hot cocoa.
Morning – ata
A man wakes up in the morning and then devours a massive breakfast. He is the morning eater.
Afternoon/Evening – ahiahi
As the shadows begin to lengthen for the time period after noon, a crazy man watches the sun start to fall and laughs “Ah he he…”
Shadow – ātārangi
In the mountains, the Sun shines behind rocky outcropping and creates a lot of shadows. It is shadowy terrain.
Day – rā
The Sun shines on a sleeping lion in the middle of the day. The lion awakens, then roars.
Night – pō
A line of starving homeless people shambles through a city at night. One of them says “We are poor.”
Season – kaupeka
Through all four seasons of sunshine, wind, rain and snow, a giant chicken stands and pecks a cow. The cow never reacts, just watches the passing seasons with the cow pecker.
Dawn – ata hāpara
In the dim light of dawn, a man stuffs his face with food with one hand and plays a harp with the other. The dawn breaks on the eater harper.
Dusk – kākarauri
As the Sun is setting at dusk, a flock of crows lands on a parked car. The dusk wraps around the car crows.
*
The above is an excerpt from the upcoming Learn Maori Vocabulary With Mnemonics, by Jeff Ngatai, due to be published by VJM Publishing in the summer of 2017/18.