Why Are New Zealanders Called Kiwis?

Is it OK to call a New Zealander a kiwi?

‘Kiwi’ (/ˈkiːwi/ KEE-wee) is a common self-reference used by New Zealanders, though it is also used internationally. Unlike many demographic labels, its usage is not considered offensive; rather, it is generally viewed as a symbol of pride and affection for most people of New Zealand.

Are Australians called kiwis?

But Don’t Use It for Australians – So can you use Kiwi to describe people from Australia as well? Nope. Kiwi birds and Kiwis themselves only live in New Zealand, and if there’s one thing that annoys New Zealanders, it’s confusing them with their Australian neighbors.

What does kiwi mean in Maori?

Māori. Māori always regarded the kiwi as a special bird. They knew it as ‘te manu huna a Tāne’, the hidden bird of Tāne, god of the forest. Kiwi feather cloaks (kahu kiwi), originally made by sewing kiwi skins together, were taonga (treasures) usually reserved for chiefs.

When were kiwis named?

Kiwi: Is it a bird. Is it a fruit? People from further afield could be forgiven for thinking New Zealanders were named after a small fuzzy Chinese gooseberry which was renamed as Kiwi in 1959. However, New Zealanders never adopted the name and the gooseberries were known locally as kiwifruit, never ever just ‘kiwi’.

New Zealanders are in fact named after their national bird, the Kiwi, but that’s just part of the story. Those plucky Kiwis The first use of a Kiwi to symbolise the nation may have come in cartoon form when the New Zealand Free Lance magazine printed a drawing showing a plucky kiwi that morphed into a moa when the All Blacks defeated Great Britain 15-0 in the first rugby test in 1905.

This image was repeated by showing a kiwi unable to swallow Wales after the All Blacks’ controversial loss in Cardiff. In the same year, the Westminster Gazette also depicted a kiwi and a kangaroo setting off for a colonial conference. By 1908 the kiwi was the dominant symbol for New Zealand in cartoons, especially sporting ones, having replaced images of moa, fern leaves, a small boy and a lion cub.

Theory number 2 A natural fit So, if you’re looking for a country where people are named after birds that don’t fly we know a place.

Another story about how New Zealanders became Kiwis has its roots in shoe polish. In the early 1900s, a Scottish-born inventor living in Melbourne developed a boot polish that didn’t just shine shoes, it also preserved, waterproofed and softened the leather.

He called it Kiwi polish, in honour of the country his wife called home – she hailed from Oamaru. During World War I, the polish proved so good it was adopted by the British and American armies, and it wasn’t long before New Zealand soldiers were no longer called Fernlanders or En Zedders, and were called Kiwis instead, a moniker that quickly transferred to New Zealanders in general.The nickname ‘Kiwi’ sits perfectly with New Zealanders’ national psyche.

Just like the bird, New Zealanders are resolute, adaptable and just a bit quirky. As a symbol, the Kiwi bird transcends age, gender, race, and creed, and New Zealanders embraced it. The New Zealand representative rugby league team was dubbed the Kiwis by a journalist in 1921 and has officially had this name since 1938.

Before long New Zealanders ate Kiwi brand bacon, banked with Kiwibank, cheered for a horse named Kiwi in the Melbourne Cup and went to bed when ‘The Goodnight Kiwi’ ended TV broadcasting for the day. Next time you meet a Kiwi, remember they’re named after a bird, not a gooseberry. : Kiwi: Is it a bird.

Is it a fruit?

What do Kiwis call British?

Pommy or pom – The terms pommy, pommie, and pom used in Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand usually denote a British person. Newspapers in Australia were using the term by 1912, with it appearing first in Western Australia, and was said to be short for pomegranate, with the terms “jimmy” and “jimmigrant” also in use.

1. Disputes about whether the term is derogatory or offensive have occurred since 1925.
2. The Oxford Dictionary defines its use as “often derogatory”, but after complaints to the Australian Advertising Standards Board about five advertisements using the term “poms”, the board ruled in 2006 that these words are inoffensive, in part because they are “largely used in playful or affectionate terms”.

The New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority made a similar ruling in 2010. The BBC, the British national broadcaster, has used the phrase on occasion. There are several folk etymologies for “pommy” or “pom”. The best-documented of these is that “pommy” originated as a contraction of ” pomegranate “.

According to this explanation, “pomegranate” was Australian rhyming slang for “immigrant” (like “Jimmy Grant”). Usage of “pomegranate” for English people may have been strengthened by a belief in Australia that sunburn occurs more frequently amongst English immigrants, turning those with fair skin the colour of pomegranates.

Another explanation – now generally considered to be a false etymology – was that “pom” or “pommy” were derived from an acronym such as POM (“prisoner of Millbank”), POME (“prisoner of Mother England”) or POHMS (“prisoner of Her Majesty’s Service”). However, there is no evidence that such terms, or their acronyms, were used in Australia when “pom” and “pommy” entered use there.

What do Maoris call themselves?

Naming and self-naming – Early visitors from Europe to New Zealand generally referred to the indigenous inhabitants as “New Zealanders” or as “natives”. 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.

1. The term can also refer to the Māori people as a whole in relation to New Zealand ( Aotearoa ) as a whole.
2. The official definition of Māori for electoral purposes has changed over time.
3. Before 1974, the government required documented ancestry to determine the status of “a Māori person” and only those with at least 50% Māori ancestry were allowed to choose which seats they wished to vote in.

The Māori Affairs Amendment Act 1974 changed this, allowing individuals to self-identify as to their cultural identity. Until 1986, the census required at least 50 per cent Māori ancestry to claim Māori affiliation. Currently, in most contexts, authorities require some documentation of ancestry or continuing cultural connection (such as acceptance by others as being of the people); however, there is no minimum ancestry requirement.

Why are British called Poms?

Why Do Aussies Call Brits Poms? – Wavelength Surf Magazine – since 1981

• Any brit who’s travelled in the Antipodes will likely recognise the following refrain, drawled at them by one of the region’s gentile local folk:
• “Oooooh you’re a pom are yaaaa?”
• But on such an occasion, have you ever stopped to wonder where the word came from?

If you, like me, become flustered with an etymology with loads of theories but no definitive answer, then this one’s likely to grind your gears a little bit. However, we’ve combed through the reams of literature to bring you something close to the best answer available on the world wide web. Don’t say we ain’t good to you here at the ‘Length. Let’s dive in shall we?

1. One attractive explanation claims the letters ‘POME’ or ‘POHM’ were stamped on the clothing of British prisoners in the late 1800’s, as an acronym of ‘Prisoner of Mother England’ or ‘Prisoner Of Her Majesty.’
2. However, this has been widely debunked, as none of the sketches or remaining clothes from the period (which still exist in lots of museums) bare any such markings.
3. I did go for this one at first, because it’s fun and it bears a resemblance to the true etymology of the word Nonce. We’re wildly off topic, but let me explain:

At the turn of the century, the letters N.O.N.C.E. was marked on the cell card of sex-offenders who the guards reckoned might be in danger if allowed to mingle with other inmates. It stands for ‘Not On Normal Courtyard Exercise,’ and was used to tell staff not to let the prisoner out of their cell when the courtyard was full of punch-happy paedo-haters.

Anyway, back to Pom. The most widely accepted theory goes that the word was originally a shortening of pomegranate. However, there is a dispute as to why Brits and the fruit became conflated. The first theory is that visiting Englishman would go a bright red colour reminiscent of a ripe pomegranate after a few days of sun exposure, which seems legit.

Another contests pomegranate is Aussie rhyming slang for immigrant, although after a few goes saying one word after the other I can’t quite seem to make that work. The final theory states that British sailors trying to fight off scurvy would collect as many of the fruits as they could carry during stop-overs in Aus.

This one might have a glimmer of truth, as it shares a common theme with the etymology of the Limey- another derogatory term for Brits- based on the scurvy prevention method of our ancient mariners. (They ate loads of limes). The term Pom first popped up in around 1913, at which point, according to a Sydney Sun clipping, it eclipsed ‘new chum’ as the popular way to refer to Brits down under.

So there you have it. Next time some salty old purse calls you a Pommy, you can challenge him to a duel of wits by asking if he even knows where his slur originated. Because if there’s one thing an obnoxious Aussie loves, it’s being made to feel intellectually inferior by a smarmy Pom.

Why do New Zealand call English Poms?

It is widely believed that the word pom is short for pomegranate, which Australians and New Zealanders used as rhyming slang for the word immigrant during the 20th century.

What does POM mean in New Zealand?

Pom (plural poms) (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, mildly derogatory slang) An Englishman; a Briton; a person of British descent.

How do Kiwis say hello?

Kia ora can be used to say hello, express gratitude, send love and make a connection. Kia ora is a warm and welcoming greeting you’ll hear throughout New Zealand and comes from the indigenous Māori language.

How do you say hello in kiwi slang?

Kia Ora – Kia Ora is a greeting many people outside of are familiar with. It can mean a lot of things, too! Kiwis use it to say hello, good morning, good luck, and take care. It’s essentially an all-encompassing way to wish someone well. New Zealenders are very friendly people and our friends at Massey say this is one stereotype that’s very true! When you study abroad in New Zealand, you’ll find random strangers on the street greeting you with “Kia Ora!” as you start your day.

What do the Chinese call Kiwis?

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.

How do you call a person from New Zealand?

New Zealanders (Māori: Tāngata Aotearoa), colloquially known as Kiwis (/kiːwiː/), are people associated with New Zealand, sharing a common history, culture, and language (New Zealand English).

What is New Zealands national dish?

10. Pavlova – When I asked my sister to write this guest post about pavlova, it earned me bonus points with my brother-in-law. He was happy that I classified it correctly as a New Zealand dessert and not Australian. New Zealanders are so adamant about claiming pavlova as their own that they’ve declared it a New Zealand national dish. Photo by GreenArt_Photography

What is the New Zealand national animal?

Introduction – The kiwi is a unique and curious bird: it cannot fly, has loose, hair-like feathers, strong legs and no tail. Learn more about the kiwi, the national icon of New Zealand and unofficial national emblem.

What is the New Zealand slang for drunk?

9. Munted – “That guy is munted as” or “I crashed my car and it’s munted” – Sometimes there are Kiwi slang phrases that are a bit flexible, This kiwi word has two meanings: when something is broken or when someone is drunk.

Why do Kiwis talk like that?

Some people mistake it for the Australian accent but it’s not quite the same – it’s a little softer sounding and is said to be based on the accent of south-east England, where a lot of the first European settlers to New Zealand came from.

Do they say G Day in New Zealand?

Usage notes –

( good day ) : Used interchangeably with and, but more characteristically Australian/New Zealand, and perhaps the most informal of these options. Also used in the constructions G’day, mate (a greeting to a friend or acquaintance) and G’day, stranger (ironically, to a friend not seen in some time).

: g’day – Wiktionary, the free dictionary

What is a white New Zealander called?

Meaning – The Oxford general English language dictionary defines Pākehā as ‘a white New Zealander’, The Oxford Dictionary of New Zealandisms (2010) defines Pākehā as a noun ‘a light-skinned non-Polynesian New Zealander, especially one of British birth or ancestry as distinct from a Māori; a European or white person’; and as an adjective ‘of or relating to Pākehā; non-Māori; European, white’.

1. Māori in the Bay of Islands and surrounding districts had no doubts about the meaning of the word Pākehā in the 19th century.
2. In 1831, thirteen rangatira from the Far North met at Kerikeri to compose a letter to King William IV, seeking protection from the French, “the tribe of Marion”,
3. Written in Māori, the letter used the word Pākehā to mean ‘British European’, and the words tau iwi to mean ‘strangers (non-British)’—as shown in the translation that year of the letter from Māori to English by the missionary William Yate,

To this day, the Māori term for the English language is reo Pākehā, Māori also used other terms such as tupua (supernatural, or object of fear, strange being), kehua (ghosts), and maitai (metal or referring to persons ‘foreign’) to refer to some of the earliest visitors.

However, The Concise Māori Dictionary (Kāretu, 1990) defines the word Pākehā as ‘foreign, foreigner (usually applied to white person)’, while the English–Māori, Māori–English Dictionary (Biggs, 1990) defines Pākehā as ‘white (person)’. Sometimes the term applies more widely to include all non- Māori,

No Māori dictionary cites Pākehā as derogatory. Some early Pākehā settlers who lived among Māori and adopted aspects of Māoritanga became known as ‘ Pākehā Māori ‘.

Is Moana a Māori?

Moana – The female lead of this story is Moana, a future tribal leader from the fictional island of Motonui. What you might not know, but which makes total sense considering what happens in the film, is that Moana is the Te Reo Maori (and Hawaiian) word for ocean,

Are all New Zealanders Māori?

With a patchwork history of Māori, European, Pacific Island and Asian influences, New Zealand’s population of five million people is a melting-pot of cultures. Today, the population of New Zealand (opens in new window) is made up of people from a range of backgrounds; 70% are of European descent, 16.5% are indigenous Māori, 15.1% Asian and 8.1% non-Māori Pacific Islanders.

1. Geographically, over three-quarters of the population live in the North Island, with one-third of the total population living in Auckland.
2. The other main cities of Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton are where the majority of the remaining Kiwis dwell.
3. New Zealand demographics don’t tell the full story.

Beyond the numbers, what are Kiwi people really like?

What do you call someone from New Zealand?

New Zealanders (Māori: Tāngata Aotearoa), colloquially known as Kiwis (/kiːwiː/), are people associated with New Zealand, sharing a common history, culture, and language (New Zealand English).

What is the term of endearment in New Zealand?

Cute nicknames and mushy monikers: NZ’s top pet names – The study asked 500 Kiwis aged 18-70 to vote for their favourite term of endearment. As it turned out, the top pet name in NZ is ‘babe’ or ‘baby’ – 21% of us opt for this when in need of a cute nickname.2 Babe did have some fierce rivalry however, notably from ‘honey’ which took 20% of the vote and from ‘darling,’ which earned 19%.

Rounding out the top five nicknames were ‘sweetheart,’ with 15% and ‘love’ with 10%. However, it’s not the same in every part of the country. In fact, the fondness for babe might just be a big city thing: four out of our five biggest cities ( Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch ) are found in ‘babe’ regions.

Smaller cities, more rural areas and Hamilton tend to favour either honey or darling (with darling more popular in the North Island and honey in the South Island), while at the tips of the country, it’s all about love – the top nickname in both Northland and Southland.