Kiwi slang and te reo Māori words added in latest Oxford English Dictionary update

More Kiwi words have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Photo / Richard Robinson

Kiwis have a fighting culture – if the Oxford English Dictionary is anything to go by.

“Rark up” and to “climb into” are just a few of the New Zealand terms being added in the latest World English update of the OED, joining a range of everyday slang and te reo Māori phrases.

Both expressions refer to verbal aggression, though “rark” is defined as being more of the wind-up kind.

This year’s te reo Māori additions are morning greeting mōrena and hapū, which, in adjective form, means pregnant.

The classic Kiwi colloquialism “sweet as” also made the list.

Defined as an expression “of approval: excellent, fantastic, great”, the term has now been formally inducted into the English language.

The list of 11 words was rounded out by local slang “cuzzy bro”, “lux”, “lifestyler” and “trundler”.

Words added from other cultures include “cry long water”, which means to cry insincerely in Caribbean English, and “poody”, which is Welsh for having a sulk.

The dictionary first launched quarterly World English updates last year, with New Zealand cultural terms among the first to be incorporated.

“Mahi”, “chilly bin” and “Aotearoan” were among last year’s additions, as was “waka jumper”, which refers to an MP who has switched political party.

At the time, OED World English executive editor Danica Salazar said the inclusion of te reo Māori reflected the language’s “profound and lasting impact on English”.