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” loosely translates from Maori as the “land of the long white cloud.” It is widely believed to be the name bestowed by the Polynesian navigator Kupe and has been used by Maori to refer to the country for decades, if not centuries, though the word's history is contested.
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!
Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand, though it seems at first to have been used for the North Island only.
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.
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.
The Māori used the term Māori to describe themselves in a pan-tribal sense. Māori people often use the term tangata whenua (literally, "people of the land") to identify in a way that expresses their relationship with a particular area of land; a tribe may be the tangata whenua in one area, but not in another.
Māori culture is an integral part of life in Aotearoa, New Zealand. For millennia, Māori have been the tangata whenua, the indigenous people of Aotearoa.
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.
Etymology. Possibly from ao (“cloud, daytime, world”) + tea (“white”) + roa (“long, tall”); often translated as “the land of the long white cloud” (the assumption presumably being that the phrase referred to a mountainous land seen on the horizon from a canoe, after an ocean voyage).
The now common specific 'translation' of Aotearoa as 'the land of the long white cloud' probably became more established from the 1920s or 30s.
Dutch cartographers named the islands Nova Zeelandia, the Latin translation of the Dutch Nieuw Zeeland (after the Dutch province of Zeeland). By the time of British exploration, the country's name was anglicised to New Zealand.
In Australia, a bloke is a unique masculine archetype associated with the country's national identity. The "Aussie bloke" has been portrayed in important works of art and associated with famous Australian men. "He's a good bloke" literally means "he's a good man".
Aussie Nicknames for Girlfriends and Wives
There are many terms of endearment that can be used for the woman in your life - sweetheart, angel, boo, love, bebé (the latter nicked from Spanish nicknames).
Mate. “Mate” is a popular word for friend.
Known as the indigenous Polynesian population of New Zealand, the Māori people's long history originated when they arrived in the early- to mid-1300s. Hundreds of years later, the Māori culture, rich with arts and tradition, is still a big part of New Zealand's identity.
/ (ˈpɑːkɪˌhɑː) / noun. (in New Zealand) a person who is not of Māori ancestry, esp a White person.
Pakeha-Maori
Pakeha, which is a Maori term for the white inhabitants of New Zealand, was in vogue even prior to 1815.
Haere rā – nearly as common as 'Kia ora', Haere rā means goodbye, farewell or bye-bye and is said to someone leaving.
The meaning of chur is essentially thank you. You can use this classic Kiwi slang to show gratitude or appreciation. As explained above, it can also mean "sweet as" or "that's awesome". As in: "I'll help you change your flat tyre." "Chur, bro."
The word is always said in jest and it takes a foreign ear to pick it up as it really is part of the New Zealand culture. It means indecision, no or maybe. So in short, yeah means yes and nah means no. If you were talking with someone and you want to avoid conflict, then yeah nah is the perfect phrase.