te reo

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori te reo (Māori, literally the language).

Proper noun

te reo

  1. (New Zealand) The Māori language.
    Currently, many Kiwis are learning te reo.

Māori

FWOTD – 29 October 2012

Etymology

Clipping of te reo Māori; equivalent to te (definite article) +‎ reo (language, speech).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌte ˈreo/, [ˌtɛ ˈɾɛɔ]

Proper noun

te reo

  1. The Māori language.
    • 2006, Joanne Barker, Sovereignty Matters, page 208:
      Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Maori.
      The language is the life principle of Maori mana.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see te,‎ reo.

Descendants

  • English: te reo