List of English words of Māori origin

The following English words are loanwords from the Māori language. Many of them concern native New Zealand flora and fauna that were known prior to the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand. Other terms relate to Māori customs. All of these words are commonly encountered in New Zealand English, and several (such as kiwi) are widely used across other varieties of English, and in other languages.

The Māori alphabet includes both long and short vowels, which change the meaning of words.^[1] For most of the 20th century, these were not indicated by spelling, except sometimes as double vowels (paaua). Since the 1980s, the standard way to indicate long vowels is with a macron (pāua). Since about 2015, macrons have rapidly become standard usage for Māori loanwords in New Zealand English in media, law, government, and education.^[2] Recently some anglicised words have been replaced with spellings that better reflect the original Māori word (Whanganui for Wanganui, Remutaka for Rimutaka).^[3][4]

The accepted English common names of a number of species of animal and plant native to New Zealand are simply their Māori names or a close equivalent:

huhu

a type of large beetle

huia

a recently extinct bird, much prized traditionally by Māori for its feathers

kākā

a native parrot

kākāpō

a rare native bird

kahikatea

a type of large tree

katipō

a venomous native spider

kauri

large conifer in the Araucariaceae

kea

a parrot, the world's only alpine parrot

kererū

the native wood pigeon

kina

the sea-urchin, eaten as a delicacy

kiwi

the bird, a New Zealander, or (but not in New Zealand English) kiwifruit

kōkako

a rare type of bird

kōwhai

a type of flowering tree

kūmara

sweet potato

mako

a shark, considered a magnificent fighting game fish

mamaku

a type of large tree fern

moa

extinct giant flightless bird

pāua

abalone

pōhutukawa

a type of flowering tree

ponga (also spelt punga)

the silver fern, often used as a symbol for New Zealand

pūkeko

a wading bird, the purple swamphen

rātā

a type of flowering tree

rimu

a tree, the red pine

takahē

a rare wading bird

tarakihi

a common fish, though often mispronounced in English as ‘tera-kee’.

toheroa

a shellfish

tōtara

an evergreen tree

tuatara

rare lizard-like reptile, not closely related to any other living species

tūī

the parson bird

weka

a flightless bird of the rail family

wētā

a large native insect, similar to a cricket

whekī

a type of tree fern

Thousands of Māori placenames (with or without anglicisation) are now official in New Zealand. These include:

• Territorial authorities: Waikato, Manawatū, Tauranga, Taranaki, Otago^[5]
• Cities: Porirua, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Whanganui, Whangārei
• Tourist destinations: Aoraki / Mount Cook, Tongariro, Manapouri, Moeraki, Wakatipu, Te Anau, Waitomo

Many New Zealand rivers and lakes have Māori names; these names predominantly use the prefixes wai- (water) and roto- (lake) respectively. Examples include the Waikato, Waipa and Waimakariri rivers, and lakes Rotorua, Rotomahana and Rotoiti.

Some Treaty of Waitangi settlements have included placename changes.

A Māori name for New Zealand, Aotearoa, has gained some currency as a more acceptable alternative. It appears in the names of some political parties, e.g. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and Communist Party of Aotearoa.

aroha

love, sympathy, compassion

arohanui

"lots of love", commonly as a valediction^[6][7]

haere mai and haere ra

welcome and goodbye (respectively)

haka

traditional Māori dance, not always a war dance, often performed by New Zealand sports teams to 'challenge' opponents; see Haka of the All Blacks

hāngī

(1) earth oven used to cook large quantities of food (2) the food cooked in the hāngī

hapū

clan or subtribe, part of an iwi

hīkoi

march or walk, especially a symbolic walk such as a protest march

hongi

traditional Māori greeting featuring the pressing together of noses and sharing of breath

hui

meeting, conference

iwi

tribe

kai

food^[8]

kai moana

sea food

kapa haka

a cultural festival or music and dance

ka pai

very pleasant, good, fine

karakia

sung prayer or welcome

kaupapa

policy or principle, credo, methodology or theoretical foundation

kāwanatanga

transliteration of the English word "governance," sometimes mistranslated as "sovereignty." See also: tino rangatiratanga and Differences in the Māori and English versions of the Treaty of Waitangi

kia kaha

an expression of support, lit. be strong

kia ora

a greeting, lit. be healthy

koha

gift, present, offering, donation, contribution^[9]

kōhanga reo

Māori language preschool (literally 'language nest')

kōrero

to talk; to speak Māori; story

koru

stylised fern frond pattern, used in art

Kura Kaupapa Māori

Māori language school

mahi

work, employment

mahinga mātaitai

traditional seafood gathering place

mana

regard in which someone is held; respect of their authority; reputation^[10]

manaia

guardian spirit, often found in Māori artwork and carving

Māoritanga

Māori culture, traditions, and way of life, lit. Māoriness

marae

meeting house, the communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Māori society

Matariki

midwinter festival, the Māori new year, lit. the star cluster of the Pleiades

mihi

lit. greet, acknowledge; sometimes used for internet board or forum message

moko

facial tattoo

mokopuna

descendants, young children. Lit. grandchildren

Ngaire

woman's name, origin unknown

pā

hill fort

pakarū

broken, not working; often rendered in New Zealand English as puckeroo or puckerooed

Pākehā

New Zealander of non-Māori descent, usually European

Papakāinga

land used as housing by a hapu or whanau group

poi

A dance art that originated in Māori culture and is now popular in object-manipulation communities

pounamu

greenstone, jade, nephrite

pōwhiri

ceremony of welcome^[11]

puku

abdomen, tummy

rāhui

a ban or prohibition

rohe

homeland, tribal area

tangata whenua

lit. "people of the land". The home tribe of a given marae or district; locals; by extension, Māori in the New Zealand context.^[12]

taniwha

mythical water monster

taonga

treasure, especially cultural treasures. Māori usage: property, goods, possessions, effects, treasure, something prized. The term whare taonga ("treasure house") is used in the Māori names of museums

tapu

sacred, taboo; to be avoided because of this; (a cognate of the Tongan tabu, origin of the English borrowing of taboo)

te reo

the Māori language (literally, 'the language')

tiki

stylised representation of a male human, found in Māori artwork and carving

tino rangatiratanga

a political term, sometimes translated as "chieftainship," but most accurately rendered as "(complete) sovereign authority", a right promised to Māori in the Treaty of Waitangi

tukutuku

traditional woven panels

utu

revenge. Māori usage: revenge, cost, price, wage, fee, payment, salary, reciprocity

wāhi tapu

sacred site

wai

water (often found in the names of New Zealand rivers)

waiata

singing, song

waka

canoe, transport

whakapapa

genealogy, ancestry, heritage

whānau

extended family or community of related families^[13]

whare

house, building

Many Māori words or phrases that describe Māori culture have become assimilated into English or are used as foreign words, particularly in New Zealand English, and might be used in general (non-Māori) contexts. Some of these are:

• Aotearoa: New Zealand. Popularly interpreted to mean 'land of the long white cloud', but the original derivation is uncertain
• aroha: Love, sympathy, affection^[14]
• arohanui: "lots of love", commonly as a complimentary close^[6][7]
• haere mai: welcome
• haka: a chant and dance of challenge (not always a war dance), popularised by the All Blacks rugby union team, who perform a haka before the game in front of the opposition
• hāngī: a method of cooking food in a pit; or the occasion at which food is cooked this way (compare the Hawaiian use of the word luau)
• hongi: traditional Māori greeting featuring the pressing together of noses
• hui: a meeting; increasingly being used by New Zealand media to describe business meetings relating to Māori affairs
• iwi: tribe, or people
• kai: food^[8]
• kapai: very pleasant; good, fine. From Māori 'ka pai'^[8]
• kaitiaki: guardianship of the environment
• kaupapa: agenda, policy or principle^[15]
• kia ora: hello, and indicating agreement with a speaker (literally 'be healthy')
• koha: donation, contribution^[9]
• kōhanga reo: Māori language preschool (literally 'language nest')
• kōrero: to talk; to speak Māori; story
• Kura Kaupapa Māori: Māori language school
• mana: influence, reputation — a combination of authority, integrity, power and prestige^[10]
• Māoritanga: Māori culture, traditions, and way of life. Lit. Māoriness.
• marae: ceremonial meeting area in front of the meeting house; or the entire complex surrounding this, including eating and sleeping areas
• Pākehā: Non-Māori New Zealanders, especially those with European ancestry
• piripiri: clinging seed, origin of New Zealand English 'biddy-bid'.
• pōwhiri: ceremony of welcome^[11]
• puku: belly, usually a big one^[16]
• rāhui: restriction of access
• tāngata whenua: native people of a country or region, i.e. the Māori in New Zealand (literally 'people of the land')^[12]
• tapu: sacred, taboo; to be avoided because of this; (a cognate of the Tongan tabu, origin of the English borrowing of taboo)
• tangi: to mourn; or, a funeral at a marae
• taniwha: mythical water monster
• te reo: the Māori language (literally, 'the language')
• waka: canoe, boat^[17] (modern Māori usage includes automobiles)
• whānau: extended family or community of related families^[13]
• whare: house, building

Other Māori words and phrases may be recognised by most New Zealanders, but generally not used in everyday speech:

• hapū: subtribe; or, pregnant
• kapa haka: cultural gathering involving dance competitions; haka team
• karakia: prayer, used in various circumstances including opening ceremonies
• kaumātua: older person, respected elder
• kia kaha: literally 'be strong'; roughly "be of good heart, we are supporting you"
• Kīngitanga: Māori King Movement
• matangi: wind, breeze ("Matangi" is the name for a class of electric multiple unit trains used on the Wellington suburban network, so named after Wellington's windy reputation).
• mauri: spiritual life force
• mokopuna: literally grandchildren, but can mean any young children
• pakarū: broken, damaged
• rangatira: chief
• rohe: home territory of a specific iwi
• taihoa – not yet, wait a while
• tamariki: children
• tohunga: priest (in Māori use, an expert or highly skilled person)
• tūrangawaewae: one's own turf, "a place to stand"
• tutū: to be rebellious, stirred up, mischievous ^[18] Used in New Zealand English to mean "fidget" or "fiddle" e.g. "Don't tutū with that!"
• urupā: burial ground
• utu: revenge (in Māori, payment, response, answer)
• wāhi tapu: sacred site
• whaikōrero: oratory
• whakapapa: genealogy
• waiata: song
• wairua: spirit

For a list of words relating to Māori language origins, see the Maori derivations category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Māori influence on New Zealand English
• List of English words of Polynesian origin
• List of Māori plant common names

• Matthews, R. J. H. (1984). Maori Influence on New Zealand English. World Englishes 3 (3), 156–159. doi:10.1111/j.1467-971X.1984.tb00597.x