The New Zealand Harold?

Whale Oil blogs on the NZ Herald changing its banner to Te Herora o Aotearoa:

If you go to the Maori Dictionary site and put in “herald”, the result is Hērara: 

 (loan) (noun) Herald, New Zealand Herald.
Kua puta tētahi kōrero ki roto i te ‘Nūpepa Hērara o Nēpia’ mō te haerenga o Te Tātana, te Pirimia, ki te Urewera (HTK 14/4/1894:1). / An account has appeared in the ‘Napier Herald’ about the trip of Mr Seddon, the Prime Minister, to the Urewera.

Not “Hērora“…which they have used,  is Maori for “Harold” or “Herod”:

1.(loan)(personal name) Herod – the name of four rulers of ancient Palestine about the time of Jesus. Herod Antipas (22 BC-c.40 AD) was responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist.
2.(loan)(personal name) Harold.

Oh dear, if that is correct that is quite a blunder. Mind you I quite like the idea of it being the New Zealand Herod! 🙂

NZ Herald Editor-in-chief Tim Murphy has responded on Twitter:

24hrs late with Harold/Herod thing. Silliness started yesty. Wrong then and now. Herora used for NZH since 1867. Te Karere uses.