Summarised by Centrist
The latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary has added a few New Zealand words, including ‘waka jumper,’ ‘mahi,’ and ‘chilly bin.’
‘Waka jumper,’ a term born in New Zealand’s political circles, describes a member of Parliament who switches parties mid-term.
The dictionary also welcomed more te reo Māori words, such as ‘tikanga’ (customs or principles) and ‘kapa haka’ (Māori performing arts group), showing how much te reo is woven into everyday Kiwi life.
Even though most of these additions were expected, ‘Aotearoan’ raised some eyebrows. Some feel it doesn’t quite sit right, mixing te reo with an English suffix.
Linguist John Macalister said “It’s a regular process, but it is a big event because what it is doing is capturing the changing nature of New Zealand society through the language that’s used.”
However, he doesn’t think ‘Aotearoan’ will replace ‘New Zealander’ or ‘Kiwi’ anytime soon.
