The term “waka jumper” has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
The colloquial phrase, which is used almost exclusively in New Zealand politics, is among several new words the dictionary has included in its latest update.
It defines a waka jumper as a member of Parliament who moves from one political party to another during a parliamentary term.
The dictionary says that the phrase has been in use since 1999.
“Waka jumping (1999) is the name for this practice of party switching, and a waka jumper (1999) is a member of Parliament who engages in it.”
The most recent waka jumping legislation passed in 2018.
Other New Zealand words added to the dictionary included:
- tikanga – “a custom, norm, value, or principle regulating the behaviour and practices of a particular community”.
- tikanga Māori – “the body of such customs, norms, values, or principles regulating the behaviour and practices of the Māori people specifically”.
- kapa haka – “a traditional Māori performing arts group”.
- mahi – “used in Māori contexts to mean work, activity, occupation, or employment”.
- chilly bin – “portable insulated container designed to keep food or drinks cool”.
- ditch – the Tasman Sea.
- Aotearoan – “a native or inhabitant of Aotearoa (New Zealand)”.
There has been an increase in the number of te reo Māori words being added to the dictionary with experts saying it’s a sign of the times as more Māori and non-Māori use certain words.
Other new regional words and phrases that the dictionary has added this round include the Welsh interjection of disgust “ych a fi” and “towel” as slang for the Guyanese one-thousand-dollar bill.
rnz.co.nz