Takenga mai:

tatau - count
pito - at first
mata - fresh, unripe

Whakamārama:

I tēnei momo tatau, kāore te tamaiti e hono i te tau kotahi ki te mea kotahi e tatauria ana. Ko te whakahua noa iho i ngā kupu tau, engari kāore anō kia mau te tikanga o te tatau pānga tahi.

In this type of counting, the child does not connect each number with an object as it is being counted. The child knows the number names but cannot count one number for one object.

Tauira kōrero:

He tatau pitomata te tatau a Hāmiora.
Kāore anō a Hine kia puta ake i te tatau pitomata.
Mai i te tatau pitomata, ka whanake ake ki te tatau pānga tahi.