New Zealand Lake Wakatipu sunset

origins of the name
Whakatipu (make grow): This interpretation comes from the Maori language, where "whaka" means causative (to make something happen) and "tipu" means growth. For naming the lake as a place where things grow abundantly, like the plant life and where people thrived.
Waka Tipua (trough of the giant): This interpretation breaks down as "waka" meaning trough or hollow, and "tipua" meaning enchanted giant, and based on Maori legends about the lake's formation. One legend tells the story of a giant who was burned while sleeping, leaving behind a giant hole that filled with water to become the lake.