A Maori folk song — a form of traditional Maori vocal music that encompasses a wide range of purposes: lament, celebration, greeting, and storytelling. Waiata are performed at powhiri and other formal occasions, sung in support of a speaker after an address, and preserved as part of iwi (tribal) cultural heritage. The word is used freely in New Zealand English and the practice is central to living Maori culture.
After the elder's speech, the group supported him with a waiata that silenced the whole room.
Waiata means: A Maori folk song - a form of traditional Maori vocal music that encompasses a wide range of purposes: lament, celebration, greeting, and storytelling. Waiata are performed at powhiri and other. It is mainly New Zealand English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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(New Zealand) A Māori folk song.
“Graduated today and my mum stood up to waiata for me 😭😭😭”
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