Kia ora can be used to greet someone, show appreciation, offer love, and establish a connection.
The native Mori language is the source of the friendly and welcoming greeting known as “kia ora,” which is used often throughout New Zealand.
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What does kia ora mean?
Kia ora, in its most basic form, says greeting. But because it makes a reference to life and health, “kia ora” is more than just a simple greeting.
More than merely a passing greeting, these two words have deeper meanings. The word “ora” literally means “to live” or “to be alive.” By adding “kia,” it is transformed from a noun to a verb, becoming “living” instead of “alive”. As a result, when you say “kia ora” to someone, you are wishing them life itself.
When should you say kia ora?
In New Zealand, the informal greeting kia ora is used. Everyone uses it in everyday discourse, from the prime minister to the neighborhood shopkeeper.
Use kia ora as a greeting or farewell, to express gratitude, to express support, or to convey a warm “cheers.” Kia ora can be used to start an email or answer the phone.
It’s crucial to express gratitude to others. By saying “Kia Ora,” we acknowledge not only them but also everything about them, including who and from where they are.
How does ora work in Mori?
Ngahiwi Apanui, the company’s chief executive, explains that “it’s actually more of a ‘gidday’; I wouldn’t say it to elders or if I was meeting someone for the first time.”
The expression can be used to end an email, wish someone well, or express gratitude.
Apanui explains, “It also signifies to wish someone life and health.” Kia is a future tense particle that, technically speaking, means something will happen. Together, ora and kia mean life.
We say “kia ora r” when someone corrects us or helps us, according to Apanui. R can refer to the sun or day, but in this case, it denotes a separation from the speaker, much like the phrase “by that.”
Apanui thinks that the expression is quite adaptable. It’s being thrown around everywhere, and he thinks that’s fantastic.
“Even if kia ora is the only term people use to communicate in te reo Mori, that is still preferable to saying nothing. However, it’s far better if everyone understands what that brief passage implies.”
Maori Language Terms
Te Reo, another official language of New Zealand, is a bilingual nation. Even though it’s not as common as English, you might hear some of these words mentioned in a conversation.
Not sure how to say or pronounce these words? Obtain this free Maori pronunciation guide by clicking here.
Why is Kia Ora Harmful?
Ireland-based retailers of Kia-Ora beverages and one of the most suspicious adverts (Images: Provided)
Although the offending advertisements may have been sent to history’s dustbin (i.e., YouTube), the almost a century-old cordial is still in use and continues to be incorrect on numerous levels.
Kia oraisn’t it a nice word? It makes me think of Suzy Cato, my hometown, and the cheery flight attendants from Air New Zealand. I was a little taken aback to find it written on a bottle of colorful goo in a little town store in rural Ireland because it is informal but sounds more nicer than “g’day mate” and is a word you’re only likely to hear 4.000 kilometers south of the equator.
As it turns out, kia ora is a brand of cordial (or squash, as it’s known here) owned by a small company you may have heard of called Coca-Cola, not just a Mori greeting and declaration of friendship. There are two flavors available: blackcurrant and orange. I had to take a bottle of the orange flavor home so I could try it. Without actually tasting like any particular fruit, it was sickly sweet and somewhat akin to fruit. Alarmingly, it included something called glycerol esters of wood rosins.
I was curious as to why Coca-Cola was marketing juice with New Zealand holiday greetings. But first, some background.
Kia-Ora, a lemon cordial that was established in 1903 by a man by the name of Arthur Gasquoine. He seemed to be motivated by the literal meaning of the phrase, “kia orato,” which means “wish someone good health and wellness,” and, in keeping with the customs of white people, had no qualms about appropriating parts of Mori culture and using them for his personal gain.
The Dixon family of Victoria purchased the Kia-Ora brand from Australian Arthur G not long after it was founded, but Kia-Ora didn’t really take off until it was introduced in the UK. Starting off as a lemon squash, Kia-Ora grew to encompass a variety of drink flavors before diversifying in the 1940s to include canned soup, spaghetti, and baked beans. Unfortunately, Anne Dixon’s vile spaghetti and baked bean recipes were the unquestionable high point of the latter action. By the 1960s, Campbell’s had acquired Kia-Australian Ora’s division, and the company’s spaghetti nest Easter eggs, which were suitable for Lent, tragically disappeared.
But in the meantime, Kia-reputation Ora’s in the UK was growing. White children smiling at the beach and tennis club secretaries praising the “healthful goodness of the drink” were depicted on posters. When the subjects of the posters were black or brown, the corporation also seized the chance to be extremely prejudiced.
Then there were the television commercials produced between the early and late 1980s that continued to run well into the 1990s, despite the fact that everyone should have known better at the time. A black boy wearing a straw hat and leading a group of crows that represented such blatant stereotypes appeared to be lifted directly from Disney’s racist farce Dumbo in the advertisements.
Kia-karma Ora’s seems to have caught up with her. With the exception of the two sugar-free Kia-Ora cordialsorange and blackcurrantCoca-Cola no longer appears to promote on TV, online, or anywhere else. An English Labour MP recently faced repercussions for sharing one of the infamously terrible vintage television commercials in a WhatsApp group. The majority of people appear to recall Kia-Ora as “that juice with the messed up advertisements,” with the exception of a few nostalgic boomers in the hidden corners of internet message boards.
In 1903, the same year a white man was permitted to use the phrase to promote a beverage, mori children were forcibly forbidden from saying kia ora (and any other te reo) in classrooms across the country.
Black stereotypes played a significant role in Kia-advertising Ora’s history, all because the phrase appeared faintly strange to a London-based executive.
Everyone who grew up in Ireland or England in the 1980s believes that Don Brash would pronounce kia ora differently if he weren’t so intimidated by the Mori language.
Unbelievably, Kia-Ora, a brand that is barely hanging on, continues to use a cartoon crow image on its labels.
In light of the aforementioned, I questioned whether Coke had considered renaming Kia-Ora. They stated the following:
“In a 1998 agreement, The Coca-Cola Company bought the Cadbury Schweppes soft drink brands. The brand portfolio included the Kia-Ora name. Since then, there has been little money spent on brand marketing. Currently, there are no plans to change the beverage or the branding in any way.
In other words, Kia-Ora won’t change because a $270 billion firm can’t be bothered.
Although I have no expertise in marketing, I was able to come up with several ideas rather quickly.
- The second- or third-most popular concentrated low-calorie soft drink with orange flavor in Ireland
- I hope you don’t mind that this contains something called glycerol esters of wood rosins.
- Same Juice, but no longer racist
Given how imaginative New Zealanders are, perhaps we might have a nationwide vote to select a new moniker, ala Boaty McBoatface? Coca-Cola employees appear to be running low on resources right now, so they could use all the assistance they can get.
In Mori, how do you greet someone?
Despite the fact that English is New Zealand’s primary language, the Mori language is a national treasure and is currently seeing a rebirth. Pick up some basic language.
Te Reo Mori, New Zealand Sign Language, and English are all recognized as official languages in New Zealand. The majority of people speak English, although only about 4%, or 140,000, do so in Te Reo. As a result, it is now the second most widely used language in New Zealand.
The Mori language is being revived and is regarded as a national treasure. Te Reo is still a living language that is widely spoken in New Zealand because to programs like Mori Language Week, Mori language schools (from pre-school through high school), and a Mori language television station.
In the traditional Mori greeting known as the hongi, two individuals press their noses and occasionally their foreheads together (pictured). It is typically used at ceremonial gatherings of Mori people and is sometimes followed by a handshake.
You can assist in sustaining the language Te Reo Mori by striving for accurate pronunciation and use straightforward words and expressions in daily speech. A wonderful place to start is by learning the fundamental Mori greetings (mihi). Anywhere in New Zealand you use them, you’ll probably get a big smile in return.
Thank you
Kia ora is a greeting that can also be used to show gratitude in general.
The Mori words for “thank you” are tn koe (to one person), tn krua (to two people), and tn koutou (to three or more persons).
What makes Kiwis say “aye”?
Ay. The particle “ay,” which is also spelled “ah,” is one that Kiwis like to add at the end of sentences. From “could you repeat that?” to “what do you think?,” it might signify a variety of things. It’s typically used in the same context as saying “right” or “you know.”
Kia ora: How Do I Say It?
“My life has transformed since I began learning Mori at Te Wnanga o Aotearoa 15 years ago. I immediately developed a passion for this lovely language thanks to the professors and classmates I met there who gave me the confidence to think that the Mori language is for me too, despite the fact that I am not a Mori. Today, only 15 years later, I teach te reo pronunciation and have developed a number of te reo books and sing-along tools.
“I discovered about halfway through my journey that many of my teaching colleagues also struggled with pronouncing te reo with confidence. They informed me that the tools at their disposal were challenging to utilize and that they lacked the self-assurance necessary to move past greetings, orders, colors, and numbers. Te Reo Singalong books were inspired by the repeated text patterns I was seeing being sung to a catchy song.
“These novels received overwhelmingly positive reviews, which were followed by calls for pronunciation workshops. I explain that the key to pronouncing Mori words correctly is to break them at each vowel. However, applying this understanding to every Mori word and phrase we useincluding our location namesis the most crucial thing we can do.
“Although bad role models and years of habit are the main causes of improper pronunciation rather than deliberate action, I think teachers have a specific duty to try their best. Teachers might be the only people students look up to for advice on how to pronounce te reo Mori properly. They mimic the speech of others around them as they learn to speak. They will follow if we do it well.
“I think there’s a lot we can learn from how kids pick up language. Infants and young children don’t begin using complete phrases. They begin by practicing sounds before progressing to words and finally phrases. Before young toddlers learn to speak in complete sentences, it takes some time. It stands to reason that acquiring a second language like Mori should go in a similar manner. We should begin by perfecting the language’s sounds. Then, before going on to simple phrases, we should use those sounds to pronounce single words clearly.
“I advise teachers to start with the basics and master the vowel sounds when I work with them in pronunciation workshops. Why say anything at all “kia ora if we don’t know how to pronounce the term properly? You might be surprised to learn that a lot of people mispronounce the simple greeting.
Most people substitute “Ki ora” for “Hi there. We are unable to omit the “a at the end of “kia because there are no silent letters in the Mori alphabet. Most Mori speakers claim that “Ki / ao / ra is the right way to pronounce it.
“You can view some of the little films on my Facebook page, Pronunciation Signposts in Te Reo Mori, to learn more about te reo pronunciation.