Maori

Maori

Noun / Adjective · /ˈmaʊ.ri/

Definition

(Noun) the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand (Aotearoa); the Polynesian language of the Māori people, an official language of New Zealand; (Adjective) of or relating to the Māori people, their language, or their culture. The macron over the a (Māori) is used in official New Zealand contexts to indicate the long vowel.

Origin

From Māori māori, meaning normal, ordinary, or natural — used by the indigenous people of New Zealand to distinguish themselves from the supernatural and later from Europeans. The Māori arrived in New Zealand from eastern Polynesia, with archaeological evidence suggesting initial settlement around 1300 CE. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, is the founding document of the relationship between the Crown and Māori.