Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapiki maungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is the Māori name for a hill, 305 metres (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Metre) high, close to Porangahau (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Porangahau), south of Waipukurau (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Waipukurau) in southern Hawke's Bay (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Hawke's+Bay), New Zealand (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/New+Zealand). The name is often shortened to Taumata by the locals for ease of conversation. The New Zealand Geographic Placenames Database, maintained by Land Information New Zealand, records the name as "Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakit anatahu", a hill at 40.3480 S, 176.5321 E.[1] (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/#cite_note-0) It has gained a measure of fame as one of the longest place-names in the world and one of the longest words used in English (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Longest+word+in+English). It is featured in a Mountain Dew (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Mountain+Dew) jingle and also in the 1979 single "Lone Ranger" by British band Quantum Jump (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/quantum+jump). It is the subject of a 1960 song by the New Zealand balladeer Peter Cape.[2] (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/#cite_note-1)

Meaning

The name on the sign that marks this hill is "Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapiki maungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu", which translates roughly as The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Nose+flute) to his loved one. At 85 letters, it is one of the longest place names in the world.