Koha
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A Māori tradition of reciprocal giving of gifts. New-Zealand, countable, uncountable
"Koha are commonly given at the conclusion of a powhiri (a Maori welcome onto a marae (meeting place)). [Mary Anne] Salmond explains that "great pride is taken in being able to present a generous gift to the hosts." Koha that are given at the conclusion of a powhiri are not payments for goods or services."
- 2 The koel (Eudynamys), a genus of cuckoos from Asia, Australia, and the Pacific with a distinctive loud call; specifically, the Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus). Sri-Lanka
"Our species, the Koel or Koha also belongs to this sub-family of Cuculinae. The male cuckoo is dark in colour, while its female is speckled (called the Gomara Koha)."
- 3 A voluntary donation given for a service that has been provided. New-Zealand, broadly, countable, uncountable
"There was considerable opposition to any advance for this mill being charged as against "Koha." […] In respect to the Turakirae Block, Manihera and Wi Kingi claimed "Koha" for Taita, Mangaroa, and Pakuratahi, stating that the purchase extended over those lands, and even to the source of a stream falling to the West Coast."
Example
More examples"Koha are commonly given at the conclusion of a powhiri (a Maori welcome onto a marae (meeting place)). [Mary Anne] Salmond explains that "great pride is taken in being able to present a generous gift to the hosts." Koha that are given at the conclusion of a powhiri are not payments for goods or services."
Etymology
Borrowed from Māori koha (“regard, respect; gift, present”).
Borrowed from Sinhalese කොහා (kohā, “cuckoo”), probably from Sinhalese කෝ + හඩ (kō + haḍa, “cuckoo”) or ultimately as the abbreviation of the word tells, the imitation of the chirping and trilling sound.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.