pākehā

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See also: pakeha

Maori

Etymology

Likely shortened from pakepakehā, which is of unknown origin. The Te Aka Māori dictionary entry[1] cites Mohi Tūrei for the claim that the term is originally from a chant that European sailors sang when raising the anchor.

Pronunciation

Noun

pākehā

  1. New Zealander of European descent
  2. foreigner, alien

Descendants

  • English: Pakeha

Verb

pākehā

  1. to become pākehā, to become westernised or influenced by British culture
    Ko tēnei taonga ko Whakarewa ināianei kai tētahi o ngā uri o Te Amo-hau, engari he uri kua Pākehā rawa.
    This treasure, Whakarewa, is now with one of Te Amo-hau's descendants, but this descendant has become too much of a Pākehā.

References

  1. ^ pākehā” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.