Kowhai

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkoʊfaɪ/

Definitions

1. A New Zealand native tree recognized for its vibrant yellow blooms and belonging to the Sophora genus
2. A flowering plant associated with the legume family, appreciated for its decorative and ecological contributions
3. A distinctive shrub or tree found in New Zealand that produces striking yellow flowers and is part of the legume family

Etymology: Kōwhai is the national flower-tree of New Zealand, and its name comes straight from te reo Māori, where kōwhai means "yellow." English borrowed the word to name the tree whose drooping clusters of golden flowers are its most striking feature. The name thus describes the colour of the blossoms and nothing else: a Māori speaker would hear it as a plain adjective, and the tree is named for the thing it looks like rather than for any plant characteristic in a technical sense. The macron over the first "o" marks a long vowel, which is why the word is often spelled without it in English. Pronounced as an English speaker would say "koh-fye," the spelling has settled into the same form as the Māori word once the macron is dropped, though the vowel sounds in the original are not quite the same as the English ones.