During the 19th century,New Zealand English gained manyloanwords from theMāori language.[1] The use of Māori words in New Zealand English has increased since the 1990s,[2][3] and English-language publications increasingly usemacrons to indicate long vowels.[4] Māori words are usually not italicised in New Zealand English, and most publications follow the Māori-language convention of the same word for singular and plural (e.g. onekākāpō, three kākāpō).[5][6][7]
Large numbers of native plants and animals retain their Māori names in New Zealand English. Examples include:
"Kia ora" (literally "be healthy") is a Māori term of greeting, meaning "hello" or "welcome". It can also mean "thank you", or signify agreement with a speaker at a meeting. The Māori greetings "tēnā koe" (to one person), "tēnā kōrua" (to two people) or "tēnā koutou" (to three or more people) are also widely used, as are farewells such as "haere rā".
The Māori phrase "kia kaha", "be strong", is frequently encountered as an indication of moral support for someone starting a stressful undertaking or otherwise in a difficult situation. Although previously in common usage it became an iconic phrase of support following the2010 Canterbury earthquake.
Somehybrid words, part English and part Māori, have developed, the most common of which is probablyhalf-pai — often writtenhalf-pie — meaning incomplete or substandard quality,pai being the Māori word for "good". (The portmanteau formhalf-pied is also used, derived fromhalf-baked.) Similarly, the Māori word ending-tanga, which has a similar meaning to the English ending-ness, is occasionally used in terms such askiwitanga (that is, the state of being a New Zealander[8]).
English words intimately associated with New Zealand are often of Māori origin, such ashaka,[9]Pākehā,[10]Aotearoa,[11]kiwi,[12] and the word Māori itself.[13]
Māori words should generally not be italicised.…Macrons must be used as appropriate to indicate vowel length.
Words considered to be part of NZ English do not need to be marked up in Govt.nz as the Māori language.
Do not italicise Maori words.
haka NOUN: A Maori ceremonial war dance involving chanting, an imitation of which is performed by New Zealand rugby teams before a match. ... Origin: Maori.
Pakeha NOUN: NZ – A white New Zealander as opposed to a Maori. as modifier 'Pakeha influences'... Origin: Maori.
Aotearoa PROPER NOUN: Maori name for New Zealand ... Origin: Maori, literally 'land of the long white cloud'.
kiwi NOUN: 1 – A flightless New Zealand bird with hair-like feathers, having a long downcurved bill with sensitive nostrils at the tip. Family Apterygidae and genus Apteryx: three species ... 2 – informal A New Zealander. ... Origin: Mid 19th century: from Maori.
Maori NOUN: 1 – A member of the aboriginal people of New Zealand. ... 2 – mass noun The Polynesian language of the Maoris, with about 100,000 speakers. ... ADJECTIVE – Relating to the Maoris or their language. ... Origin: The name in Maori.