maori

Everyday

1. Māori are the Indigenous people of New Zealand (Aotearoa), who were living there long before Europeans arrived. tree →
2. Māori (te reo Māori) is also their language. tree →
3. As an adjective, Māori describes things belonging to this people and culture, like Māori songs and art. tree →

In the lessons

In New Zealand schools, children learn te reo Māori words and greetings (kia ora = hello, whānau = family, kai = food), songs (waiata), the haka, and Māori stories and history, such as the Treaty of Waitangi. The All Blacks rugby team performs a haka. Māori tradition says their ancestors came in great voyaging canoes (waka) from Polynesia. Phrases: «te reo Māori», «Māori culture», «a Māori legend», «kia ora».

Examples

• Māori are the first people of New Zealand. tree →
• «Kia ora» is a Māori greeting. tree →
• We learned a Māori song at school. tree →
• The rugby team performed a haka before the game. tree →
• Many places in New Zealand have Māori names. tree →
• Te reo Māori is one of New Zealand's official languages. tree →
• My friend told us a Māori legend about the god Māui. tree →
• The Māori carving was made from wood. tree →

Note

Written with a capital M and, properly, with a long mark over the a: «Māori». The plural is usually also «Māori», not «Māoris». Pronounced roughly «MAH-oh-ree» (or «MOW-ree»). Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand.