The Name: Te Kete Ipurangi
We have derived the name Te Kete Ipurangi by combining two terms, kete and ipurangi.
A Kete epitomises some key elements of this site. It symbolises the fundamental concepts of collection, storage and distribution. It has a sense of travel associated with it. Further, the weave of a kete symbolises the unification of many components to form a robust and purposeful structure.
Māori mythology explains how Tāne-nui-ā-rangi, ascended the heavens and...
"...i riro iho ai nga- kete o te wānanga ko te kete tuauri, ko te kete tuatea, ko te kete aronui, ka tiritiria ka poupoua ki a Papatuanuku..."
...received the baskets of knowledge and brought them to earth for the benefit of mankind.
This is analogous to the site's purpose of providing an avenue to all types of knowledge in a way they can be beneficial to mankind.
There is also a proverb that states:
"nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora te manuwhiri"
...with your food basket and my food basket the guests will be appeased.
Again this is applicable to this site because it is by the sharing of resources and information, and with the cooperation and the collaboration of the users, that this site will be a success.
The term Ipurangi is formed from two words, ipu meaning receptacle or font (and incidentally cloud) and rangi meaning the sky, the heavens and also a point in time. Thus we have the symbolism of a repository of knowledge that is worldwide, that descends from above, and that is time relevant.
Ipurangi is also the modern term, coined by the Taura Whiri I Te Reo Māori, for the Internet.