Kākāriki
/ˌkaːkaːˈɾiki/noun
A Māori word meaning green or greenish-yellow, also used in English for New Zealand parakeets of the genus Cyanoramphus.
Did you know?In Māori, kākāriki refers both to the color green and to native parakeets, creating a striking link between a sacred landscape color and the bird that embodies it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*kākā
“Reconstructed term associated with parrots or parrot-like birds”
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*liki / *riki
“Small or little; the consonant became r in Māori”
Pre-European Māori
Māori
kākāriki
“Small parrot; the name of a green parakeet”
19th Century
Māori
kākāriki
“Green or greenish-yellow; also a native parakeet”
Modern English
New Zealand English
kakariki / kākāriki
“A New Zealand parakeet, especially a red-crowned or yellow-crowned parakeet”