1. The Māori people: This refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. It's the most common meaning of the word and is used to describe their ethnicity, culture, and language.
2. The Māori language: This refers to the language spoken by the Māori people. It's a Polynesian language closely related to the languages of Tahiti, Hawaii, and Easter Island.
The word "Maori" itself comes from the Proto-Polynesian word *maori*, which means "ordinary" or "common". It was likely used by early Māori to distinguish themselves from other Polynesian groups.
It's important to note that "Maori" is capitalized when referring to the people or the language.