Māori language Māori phrase "kia kaha", "be strong", is frequently encountered as an indication of moral support for someone starting a stressful undertaking or otherwise in a difficult situation. Many other words such as "whānau" (meaning "family") and "kai" (meaning "food") are also widely understood and used by New Zealanders. Māori language Māori (; ), also known as te reo ("the language"), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian, it became one of New Zealand's official languages in 1987. The number of speakers of
Mumbo jumbo (phrase) Mumbo jumbo (phrase) Mumbo jumbo, or mumbo-jumbo, is confusing or meaningless language. The phrase is often used to express humorous criticism of middle-management, and specialty jargon, such as legalese, that non-specialists have difficulty in understanding. For example, "I don't understand all that legal mumbo jumbo in the fine print." It may also refer to practices based on superstition, rituals intended to cause confusion, or languages that the speaker does not understand. "Mumbo Jumbo" is an English word often cited by historians and etymologists as deriving from the Mandinka word, "Maamajomboo", which refers to a masked male dancer who takes part