List of English words of Māori origin

See also: Māori influence on New Zealand English

Some words of (New Zealand) Māori origin have entered New Zealand English. Some of those words have been adopted by other branches of the English language and also by other languages.

Flora and fauna

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

kauri

large conifer in the Araucariaceae

kea

a parrot, one of the world's few alpine parrots

kiwi

the bird, a New Zealander, or (not in New Zealand) kiwi fruit

mako 

a shark, considered a magnificent fighting game fish

moa

extinct giant flightless bird

tuatara

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

Placenames

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

• Territorial authorities: Waikato, Manawatu, Tauranga, Taranaki, Otago*
• Cities: Tauranga, Whangarei, Waitakere, Timaru, Rotorua
• Tourist destinations: Tongariro, Moeraki, Wakatipu, Te Anau

There is a movement to replace anglicised words and return placenames to their original Māori forms. See for example Whanganui. Some Treaty of Waitangi settlements have included placename changes.

Other words and phrases

aroha 

love, sympathy, compassion

haka 

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

hāngi 

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

hikoi 

march or walk

hui 

meeting, conference

iwi 

tribe

kai 

food

kai moana 

sea food

kia kaha 

an expression of support, lit. be strong

kia ora 

a greeting, lit. be healthy

koha 

gift, present, offering, donation, contribution

mahinga mātaitai 

traditional seafood gathering place

mana 

regard in which someone is held; respect of their authority; reputation

mihi 

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

moko 

facial tattoo

Ngaire 

woman's name, origin unknown

pā 

hill fort

Pākehā 

New Zealander of non-Māori descent, usually European

Papakāinga 

land used as housing by an hapu or whanau group

poi

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

pounamu 

greenstone, nephrite

puku 

abdomen, tummy

tāngata whenua 

home tribe of a given marae or district; by extension, Māori in the New Zealand context. Lit. people of the land

tangi 

funeral, rites for the dead

taonga 

sacred treasure. Māori usage: property, goods, possessions, effects, treasure, something prized

wai 

water

utu 

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

wāhi tapu 

sacred site

waka 

canoe

whānau

extended family, family group