Mere
Mary, as Māori speakers say it; the same spelling is also used in Fiji.
Meaning and origin
Mere came into use once Bible translators gave Māori communities their own version of Mary, fitted to a language where every syllable ends in a vowel.
How to pronounce Mere
| Māori (New Zealand) | MEH-reh /ˈmɛɾɛ/ |
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About this entry
Drafted with the help of an AI model, then checked by a person. Last checked on 16 September 2026.
The sources behind this entry are listed in the app.