Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A New Zealander of European ancestry; a non-Maori New Zealander.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Among the Maoris, a white man; a foreigner.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Maori Pākehā; perhaps akin to pakepakehā, pākehakeha, imaginary pale-skinned beings.]

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Examples

  • The brutal reality of the time, however, was that the Pakeha were the stronger of the two forces contending for control of New Zealand, and the world they were constructing all around the Maori tribes could not be dismantled.

    Reading the Maps 2010

  • Frank de Jong, 45, described as a Pakeha of solid build with brown hair and tattoos on his upper arms, was last seen on 6 July in the Lower Hutt central business district.

    Radio New Zealand News Headlines 2010

  • Watkins is described as Pakeha, 1.65 metres tall and of average build.

    Radio New Zealand News Headlines 2009

  • Note for non-NZers: "Pakeha" is the general term for a white New Zealander.

    Mentioning ethnicity in news stories StyleyGeek 2008

  • About the words cited in the article: "Pakeha" is still a contentious word, and it must have been more so in the '70s - I was a kid then so that kind of thing passed me by.

    languagehat.com: ROBERT BURCHFIELD. 2004

  • New Zealand is a Maori/Polynesian and Pakeha (white) society.

    Archive 2008-09-01 Another Outspoken Female 2008

  • New Zealand is a Maori/Polynesian and Pakeha (white) society.

    the face of the nation Another Outspoken Female 2008

  • Foxtel has never been happy with the amount of Maori language content there is in coverage of Breakers' gamesIf all sports coverage in New Zealand was in Te Reo only, I wonder what that would do for the number of Pakeha enrolling in Maori language courses?

    Archive 2009-02-01 StyleyGeek 2009

  • Foxtel has never been happy with the amount of Maori language content there is in coverage of Breakers' gamesIf all sports coverage in New Zealand was in Te Reo only, I wonder what that would do for the number of Pakeha enrolling in Maori language courses?

    Too much Maori used in NBL commentary! StyleyGeek 2009

  • This picture is called “All ‘e Same t’e Pakeha” which means, I think, “All Europeans look the same,” or maybe it means "Don't I look European?"

    Boing Boing: December 3, 2006 - December 9, 2006 Archives 2006

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