Aratohu Whakamāori ki te Reo Māori

Translation Guidance for Māori (Te Reo Māori)

This document combines the comprehensive glossary and language-specific translation notes for Māori (mi-NZ) translations of Onetime Secret. It provides standardized terminology, cultural guidance, and detailed translation decisions to ensure consistency and quality across all Māori translations.

Introduction

This guide serves as the authoritative reference for translating Onetime Secret into Māori (te reo Māori). It combines:

1. Comprehensive Glossary: Standardized translations for all core terms, UI elements, and technical concepts
2. Language-Specific Notes: Detailed rationale for translation decisions and cultural adaptations
3. Translation Guidelines: Best practices for maintaining consistency, clarity, and cultural appropriateness

Use this guide to ensure all Māori translations maintain consistency, technical accuracy, and cultural resonance with Māori-speaking users.

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Core Terminology

Primary Concepts

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
secret (noun)	karere huna	The core concept of the application. “karere huna” (hidden message) better captures the concept than “mea huna” (secret thing)
secret (adj)	huna/matatapu	”huna” means hidden/concealed, “matatapu” means private/confidential
passphrase	kupu karapa	Refers to a specific phrase for authentication. Different from password
burn	whakawareware	Action of permanently deleting a secret before viewing
view/reveal	tiro/whakaatu	Action of accessing a secret
link	hononga	The URL that provides access to a secret
encrypt/encrypted	whakamuhumuhu/muhumuhu	Security method. “whakamuhumuhu” is the action, “muhumuhu” is the state
secure	haumaru	State of protection
private	tūmataiti	Characteristic of being confidential, private
one-time	kotahi-wā	Describes the single-use nature of the service
expiration / expiry	paunga / pau	Time when secret becomes unavailable
time-to-live	wā-ki-te-ora	Time remaining before expiration

User Interface Elements

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
Share a secret	Tohatoha karere huna	Primary action of the application
Create a secret	Waihanga karere huna	Creating a new secret
Create Account	Waihanga Pūkete	Registration
Sign In	Takiuru	Authentication
Sign Out	Takiputa	Logout from account
Dashboard	Papatohu	User’s main page
Settings	Tautuhinga	Configuration page
Privacy Options	Kōwhiringa Matatapu	Secret settings
Feedback	Urupare	User feedback
Account	Pūkete	User account

Status Terms

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
received	kua tirohia	Secret has been viewed
burned	kua whakawarekia	Secret deleted before viewing
expired	kua pau	Secret no longer available due to time
created	kua hangaia	Secret has been created
active	hohe	Secret is available
inactive	kāore e hohe	Secret is not available
shared	kua tohatohahia	Secret has been shared
viewed	kua tirohia	Secret has been viewed

Time-Related Terms

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
expires in	ka pau i roto i	Time until secret becomes unavailable
expired in	i pau i roto i	Expired after elapsed time
day/days	rā/ngā rā	Time unit
hour/hours	hāora/ngā hāora	Time unit
minute/minutes	meneti/ngā meneti	Time unit
second/seconds	hēkona/ngā hēkona	Time unit
time remaining	wā e toe ana	Time remaining before expiration
lifetime	wā ora	Duration that secret is available

Security Features

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
one-time access	urunga kotahi-wā	Primary security feature
passphrase protection	tiaki kupu karapa	Additional security
encrypted in transit	muhumuhu i te wā kawe	Data protection method during transmission
encrypted at rest	muhumuhu i te wā noho	Storage protection
end-to-end encryption	whakamuhumuhu pito-ki-pito	Encryption from sender to receiver
rate limiting	whakawhāiti tukanga	System to prevent abuse
security	haumaru	Protection characteristic

Account-Related Terms

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
email	īmēra	User identifier
password	kupuhipa	Account authentication. Different from passphrase
account	pūkete	User account
subscription	ohaurunga	Paid service
plan	mahere	Subscription tier
customer	kiritaki	Paying user
colonel	kaiwhakahaere	Administrator with highest permissions
username	ingoa kaiwhakamahi	Login name
profile	kōtaha	User details

Domain-Related Terms

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
custom domain	rohe ritenga	High-tier feature
domain	rohe	Website location
domain verification	manatoko rohe	Setup process
DNS record	tuhinga DNS	Configuration
CNAME record	tuhinga CNAME	DNS setup
subdomain	rohe-iti	Sub-location within a larger domain

Error Messages

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
error	hapa	Error notification
warning	whakatūpato	Warning notification
oops	auē	Friendly error introduction
not found	kāore i kitea	Data not found
access denied	kua whakakāhoretia te urunga	Access not permitted
invalid	muhu	Invalid data, incorrect
required	e hiahiatia ana	Required field

Buttons and Actions

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
submit	tuku	Submit action
cancel	whakakore	Cancel action
confirm	whakaū	Confirm action
copy to clipboard	tārua ki te papatopenga	Usage action
continue	haere tonu	Navigation
back	hoki	Navigation
save	tiaki	Save changes
delete	muku	Delete data
edit	whakatika	Edit content
download	tikiake	Download file
upload	tukuake	Upload file

Marketing Terms

English	Māori (mi-NZ)	Context / Notes
secure links	hononga haumaru	Product feature
privacy-first design	hoahoa matatapu-tuatahi	Design principle
custom branding	waitohu ritenga	High-tier feature
one-time secrets	ngā karere huna kotahi-wā	Primary product concept
zero-knowledge encryption	whakamuhumuhu kore-mōhiotanga	Security system where company doesn’t know contents

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Translation Guidelines

1. Consistency

Maintain the same translation for a term throughout the application. Use this glossary as the authoritative reference.

2. Context Awareness

Consider how the term is being used within the application. The same English word may require different Māori translations based on context.

3. Cultural Adaptation

Adapt terms to Māori cultural conventions when appropriate, while maintaining clarity and technical accuracy.

4. Technical Accuracy

Ensure security and technical terms are translated accurately to maintain the integrity of the application’s security messaging.

5. Tone

Maintain a professional, friendly, yet clear tone throughout all translations.

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Key Translation Decisions

Central Term: “Secret” → “Karere Huna”

The word “secret” is fundamental to the application. In Māori:

• Use “karere huna” (hidden message) rather than “mea huna” (secret thing)
• “karere huna” better captures the concept of sharing information/messages
• Don’t worry about Māori speakers - it sounds professional and high-quality

Reasoning:

• Better captures the nature of what’s being shared through the platform (messages, information)
• Avoids connotations of personal secrets/private affairs that “mea huna” might suggest
• Creates consistency with how other platforms translate similar concepts in Māori

Examples:

• “Create a secret” → “Waihanga karere huna” (not “Waihanga mea huna”)
• “Your secret was viewed” → “I tirohia tō karere huna”
• “Secret content” → “Ihirangi karere huna”

Distinction: “Password” vs “Passphrase”

• Kupuhipa = for account login
• Kupu karapa = for protecting individual secrets
• Maintain this distinction consistently across all translations

Examples:

• “Enter your password” → “Urunga tō kupuhipa” (account login)
• “Set a passphrase” → “Whakatū kupu karapa” (secret protection)

Verb Forms for UI Elements

Use clear distinction between active/imperative voice for actions and passive/declarative voice for status messages.

Examples:

• Action button: “Create Secret” → “Waihanga Karere Huna” (imperative)
• Status message: “Secret created” → “Kua hangaia te karere huna” (passive)
• Button: “Copy to clipboard” → “Tārua ki te papatopenga” (imperative)
• Status: “Copied to clipboard” → “Kua tāruatia ki te papatopenga” (passive)

Grammar Structure

• Use active, imperative voice for buttons and actions (e.g., “Waihanga”, “Tiaki”)
• Use passive, declarative voice for status messages (e.g., “Kua hangaia”, “Kua tiakina”)
• Do not use language abbreviations - use full words
• Maintain clear, direct tone at all times

Technical Terms

Balance authenticity with accessibility when translating technical concepts.

Examples:

• “encryption/encrypted” → “whakamuhumuhu/muhumuhu” (relates to making something secret/whispered)
• “passphrase” → “kupu karapa” (a phrase that grants access)
• “domain” → “rohe” (territory/region)
• “dashboard” → “papatohu” (guidance board)

Cultural Adaptations

Incorporate Māori conventions for greetings, time expressions, and sentence structures where appropriate.

Examples:

• “Welcome Back” → “Nau Mai Anō” (traditional Māori welcome expression)
• “You’ve got (secret) mail” → “He īmēra (huna) tāu” (using Māori possession structure)
• Time expressions follow Māori conventions

Brand and Product Names

Following the style guide, brand names remain untranslated but descriptions are translated.

Examples:

• “Identity Plus” remains “Identity Plus” (untranslated)
• “Onetime Secret” remains “Onetime Secret” (untranslated)
• “Custom Install” description → “Tāutatanga Ritenga” (customized installation)

Technical Conventions

• Security-related technical terms must be verified for accuracy before translation
• Preserve product brand names (Onetime Secret, Identity Plus, etc.) without translation
• UI elements must follow standard conventions for Māori language

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Translation Approach Summary

1. Terminology Standardization

• Established consistent translations for all core terms
• Created comprehensive glossary for future translators
• Ensured security and technical terms maintain precision while being natural in Māori

2. UI Flow Improvements

• Aligned button text with Māori action verb conventions
• Used proper passive forms for status messages
• Created natural-sounding instructions and error messages

3. Cultural Context

• Incorporated traditional Māori greeting patterns
• Adapted metaphors and idioms to resonate with Māori speakers
• Used Māori-specific linguistic structures

4. Technical Precision

• Created accurate translations for security concepts
• Preserved all placeholders and formatting variables
• Maintained distinctions between similar terms (password vs passphrase)

5. Accessibility Enhancements

• Focused on clear, direct language accessible to all Māori speakers
• Used consistent terminology for better user experience
• Avoided overly academic or formal language

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Voice and Tone

Brand Voice in Māori

• Maintains a clear, professional yet approachable tone
• Uses authentic Māori expressions while keeping technical concepts clear
• Prioritizes clarity over literal translations
• Addresses users in second person (“koe”)
• Maintains consistent punctuation and avoids contractions

Key Principles

1. Professional yet Friendly: Balance technical accuracy with approachable language
2. Clear Communication: Prioritize user understanding over literal translation
3. Cultural Authenticity: Use natural Māori expressions that resonate with speakers
4. Consistency: Maintain uniform terminology and style throughout
5. Accessibility: Ensure translations are understandable to all Māori speakers

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Conclusion

This translation approach makes Onetime Secret accessible and culturally appropriate for Māori-speaking users while maintaining the technical precision and security focus essential to the application. By following these guidelines and using the standardized terminology in this glossary, translators can ensure high-quality, consistent Māori translations that serve the user community effectively.