Why are New Zealanders called Kiwis? The name 'kiwi' comes from the curious little flightless bird that is unique to New Zealand. Māori people have always held the kiwi bird in high regard.
"Kiwi" (/ˈkiːwi/ KEE-wee) is a common self-reference used by New Zealanders, though it is also used internationally.
FAQ Questions About All Things Kiwi
It absolutely is ok to call a New Zealander a Kiwi. Though in some countries a nickname like this would be considered offensive, it is anything but in New Zealand. So go ahead and call us Kiwis!
New Zealand – Land of the Long White Cloud/Middle Earth
The Kiwis across the ditch have picked up not just one, but two nicknames. The Land of the Long White Cloud is the most common translation of Aotearoa – the Maori name for New Zealand.
Aotearoa is the current Maori-language name for New Zealand.
Gubbah, also spelt gubba, is a term used by some Aboriginal people to refer to white people or non-Aboriginal people. The Macquarie Dictionary has it as "n. Colloq. (derog.) an Aboriginal term for a white man".
There is no one Aboriginal word that all Aborigines use for Australia; however, today they call Australia, ""Australia"" because that is what it is called today. There are more than 250 aboriginal tribes in Australia. Most of them didn't have a word for ""Australia""; they just named places around them.
kiwi, (Actinidia deliciosa), also called kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry, woody vine and edible fruit of the family Actinidiaceae.
E ipo - “darling” You can use the Maori term of endearment e ipo to say “my darling”.
Oliver was the most popular name for boys. After being in second place in 2021, Isla is back at the top for most popular girl name in New Zealand for 2022. Isla has been in the top three every year since 2016. A total of 18,041 different first names were given to a total of 59,711 babies that were registered in 2022.
The phrase is often said as 'she'll be right mate', a term kiwis tend to say when they are talking to others, whether they are a mate or not. The mate just signifies a friendly conversation with someone, even if they haven't met them before. The phrase basically means everything will be ok.
Aussies: This one's a classic and is used to describe Australians worldwide. Ozzies: A variation of Aussies; this one is more commonly used by Americans. Roo: Short for kangaroo, this term is used affectionately to refer to Australians.
Manukura is a white kiwi bird - the only known white kiwi in the world!
Bro – ah, an absolute Kiwi staple. Bro is short for brother and is used to describe your best mates (as well as your actual brother). Probably one of the most used Kiwi slang terms and one of our favourites.
Kia Ora is a greeting many people outside of New Zealand are familiar with. It can mean a lot of things, too! Kiwis use it to say hello, good morning, good luck, and take care.
Haere rā – nearly as common as 'Kia ora', Haere rā means goodbye, farewell or bye-bye and is said to someone leaving.
tahu. 1. (noun) husband, spouse, partner, lover, beau, boyfriend, girlfriend, sweetheart.
As the name suggests, kiwifruit has its roots in China. Its original name in Chinese, mihoutao — or “macaque fruit” — was a reference to monkeys loving the sweet fruit. From there stemmed several other colloquial names for the Chinese gooseberry: monkey peach, macaque pear, vine pear, sun peach and wood berry.
ngutu roa. 1. (noun) kiwi.
Māori call the little spotted kiwi the 'kiwi pukupuku', named for their round-bellied appearance. Kiwi are also sometimes called 'te manu huna a Tāne' - the hidden bird of Tāne, the god of the forest.
Assimilationist terms such as 'full-blood,' 'half-caste' and 'quarter-caste' are extremely offensive and should never be used when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Until the early 19th century, Australia was best known as “New Holland”, a name first applied by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 (as Nieuw-Holland) and subsequently anglicized. Terra Australia still saw occasional usage, such as in scientific texts.
Why not say 'Hello' in an Aboriginal Language? Wominjeka means Hello/Welcome in the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people of Kulin Nation – the traditional owners of Melbourne. Yumalundi means Hello in the Ngunnawal language.