Eleven words with a New Zealand or te reo Māori origin have been included in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Executive editor Danica Salazar said the update included a “variety of colloquial expressions characteristic of New Zealand English”.
Among the standout additions was the well-used phrase ‘sweet as’, used to express approval or agreement.
“It is also used frequently as an interjection expressing emphatic affirmation, agreement, or appreciation,” Salazar said.
Also making the cut was the word ‘rark’, which appears in several forms.
As a verb, ‘rark up’ meant to provoke, annoy, or scold, the noun referred to a telling-off or a heating argument, while the phrase ‘to rark it up’ described exaggerated or disruptive behaviour.
Several terms from te reo Māori or commonly used in Māori contexts were also included in the dictionary, Salazar added.
It included the adjective ‘hapū’, meaning pregnant, and the greeting ‘mōrena’ – meaning good morning – a borrowing from Māori itself borrowed from the English word ‘morning’.
‘Cuzzy bro’, a term for a family member or close friend, often used as a familiar form of address, especially to a man, was also added.
The dictionary, often viewed as the authoritative guide to the English language, has steadily been adding New Zealand English in recent years.
In 2024, the term ‘waka jumper’ was added, defined as a member of Parliament who moves from one political party to another during a parliamentary term.
In 2023, 47 words of New Zealand origin were added to the dictionary as part of a “Kiwi update”.
Phrases like chur, flat stick (to do something quickly), Kiwiness, hooning and korero were added, and words that relate to belonging, like whenua (which will be the oldest te reo word added), rohe, kaupapa and iwi, were added to the dictionary.
New words
cuzzy bro, n.
hapū, adj.
lifestyler, n., sense 3
lux, v.2
mōrena, int.
rark, v.
rark up, n.
sweet as, adj.
to climb into (someone), in climb, v.
to deal to (someone), v.
trundler, n.
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including Donald Trump’s climate denial at the UN, more popular food products recalled, and Emmanuel Macron’s unexpected walk. (Source: 1News)
