kōwhai

See also: kowhai

Māori

Etymology

Cognate with Hawaiian 'ōhai (“Sesbania tomentosa”), Tahitian ofai (“Sesbania grandiflora”) and South Marquesan kohai (“Caesalpinia pulcherrima”) from Proto-Polynesian *kōfai.

Sense of colour from its flower petals, displaced whero entirely (now meaning “red”) and renga partially.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkoːɸai/ [ˈkoːfɐi]

Noun

kōwhai

1. Any of several small woody legume trees in the genus Sophora native to New Zealand that have yellow flowers. The national flower of New Zealand.
2. yellow

   Synonym: renga

See also

Colors in Māori · ngā tae (layout · text)

tea, mā	kiwikiwi	pango, mangu
mea, kura, whero	karaka; parauri	kōwhai, renga
	kāriki, kākāriki	kārikiuri
	kikorangi	kahurangi
tūāuri	waiporoporo	māwhero