Kia ora

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Kia ora (M?ori: [kia ora], approximated in English as KEE-? OR-?) is a M?ori language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It means, literally, have life be well/healthy and is translated as an informal hi or "hello" at the M?ori Language Commission website K?rero M?ori.

Video Kia ora

Uses

It might be used as a salutation, a farewell or an expression of thanks. It also signifies agreement with a speaker at a meeting, as part of a culture which prizes oratory. These other M?ori greetings, t?n? koe; t?n? k?rua; and t?n? koutou (respectively, one; two; and three or more people), are also widely used. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage website NZ History lists it as one of 100 M?ori words every New Zealander should know, with a definition "Hi!, G'day! (general informal greeting)".

Kia ora can follow a similar pattern to address different specific numbers of people. By itself, it can be used to address any number of people, but by adding koe (i.e., kia ora koe); k?rua; and koutou one can specify a greeting to, respectively, a single; two; or three or more people). Similarly, by following with t?tou, one addresses all the people present, including the speaker themselves.

Commercial

New Zealand's national airline, Air New Zealand, uses Kia Ora as the name for its inflight magazine. Water Safety New Zealand, a water safety advocacy organisation, has a specific Maori water safety programme, Kia Maanu Kia Ora, which makes use of the literal meaning of kia ora, as their message translates as stay afloat; stay alive.

Maps Kia ora

Controversy

In 1984, at a time when the use of M?ori phrases was uncommon in New Zealand, an Auckland telephone operator, Naida Glavish, was instructed to stop using kia ora when greeting callers after the post office had received a complaint. She refused to do so and was consequently stood down, with the whole affair attracting much public interest. The Postmaster-General, Rob Talbot, convinced the Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, to overturn that prohibition.