pakeha

See also: pākehā

English

Borrowed from Maori pākehā.

pakeha (plural pakehas or pakeha)

(New Zealand) A non-Maori, especially a European New Zealander.
- 2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →ISBN:
  Henry asked if missionaries were now active on the Chathams at which Mr Evans & Mr D’Arnoq exchanged looks, & the former informed us, ‘Nay, the Maori don’t take kindly to us Pakeha spoiling their Moriori with too much civilization.’
- 2008, RK, “Maori TV”, in nz.general, Usenet:
  i.e. they'll spend the first four hours enthusiastic as can be, then get bored, want some kai, go down to the local fish and chip shop & bottle store & spend the rest of the episode telling drunken stories of how they used to steal from the "pakeha that owned the store on the corner" and about days spent down at the social welfare office.

Although widely used in politics and media, the use of "New Zealand European (Pakeha)" in the New Zealand 1996 census provoked a "significant adverse reaction" and the word Pakeha was subsequently removed. Many New Zealanders prefer New Zealand European (formal) or Kiwi (informal).
When in reference to Europeans specifically, it is typically capitalised; Pakeha.

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