Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
hongi [hong-ee] ExamplesWord Origin noun New Zealand.
- a Maori greeting in which noses are pressed together.
Origin of hongi Borrowed into English from Maori around 1840–45 Examples from the Web for hongi Historical Examples of hongi
(p. 227) And they came, and with them came Te Kahakaha, he who had been Hongi’s chosen friend.
Earl of Pembroke.
He was a brave old warrior, and had also fought in the wars of Hongi Ika.
Earl of Pembroke.
Hongi raided Whangaroa and there received a dangerous wound.
A History of the English Church in New Zealand
Henry Thomas Purchas
Of them the most celebrated was the son of Hongi’s old antagonist, Te Waharoa.
William Pember Reeves
Near the end of the narrative, Rutherford gives an account of a great battle, in which the chief Hongi was a prominent figure.
John Rutherford, the White Chief
George Lillie Craik
British Dictionary definitions for hongi hongi noun
- NZ a form of salutation expressed by touching noses
Word Origin for hongi Māori