Monday, June 12, 2006

Term: Kia ora

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kia ora is a Maori language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It means literally "be well/healthy" and is used for both "Hello" and "goodbye". It is a popular phrase, and has also given its name to a number of businesses, from hotels to a well known concentrated orange soft drink which is available internationally.
It also signifies agreement with a speaker at a meeting. Other Maori greetings, "Tena koe" (one person), Tena korua (two people) or "Tena koutou" (three or more people) are also widely used, as well as the phrase for goodbye, "Haere ra". The Maori phrase "kia kaha", literally "be strong", is also frequently encountered as an indication of moral support for someone starting a stressful undertaking or otherwise in a difficult situation.
Maori is one of the official languages of New Zealand, the other being English.

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