Kia ora

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This article is about a greeting in the Māori language. For the soft drink, see Kia-Ora.

Kia ora is a Māori language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It means literally "be well/healthy" and may also be regarded in a more formal sense as a traditional greeting of "Good health." It is used for both "Hello" and "goodbye" and as a general exhortation or acknowledgement when listening and responding to a public speaker. It is a popular phrase, and has also given its name to a number of businesses, from hotels to a well known concentrated orange soft drink which is available internationally.

As indicated, it also signifies agreement with a speaker at a meeting, as part of a culture which prizes oratory as infotainment. Other Māori greetings, "Tēnā koe" (one person), Tēnā kōrua (two people) or "Tēnā koutou" (three or more people) are also widely used, as well as the phrase for goodbye, "Haere rā" (to the person departing - literally "go away"), and "e noho ra" (to the person staying - literally "sit there"). The Māori phrase "kia kaha", literally "be strong", is also frequently encountered as an indication of moral support for someone starting a stressful undertaking or otherwise in a difficult situation.

Māori is one of two official languages of New Zealand, the other being New Zealand Sign Language. English is the de facto language of New Zealand, but interestingly, it is not actually an official language. Whereas Māori language and New Zealand Sign Language have Acts of Parliament that declare them to be official languages, so that they may be accepted by government agencies including courts, there is no corresponding Act for English, as it is not seen as being necessary.

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