kahikatea

Borrowed from Maori kahikatea.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌhɪkəˌtɛə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌhikəˌtɛə/, /ˈkʌhəkəˌtɛə/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈkɐhiːkɘˌtiə/, /ˈkɐhɘkɘˌtiə/

kahikatea (plural kahikateas)

1. Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand.

   Synonyms: kahika (rare), white pine (dated)

   • 1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 157:

     “This place used to have one of the finest stands of kahikatea in the country.”

   • 2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 113:

     But these early cargoes were of kahikatea, which rotted in water and did not find favour with ship-builders.

From kahika (“Malay apple”) +‎ tea (“white”), due to its similar-tasting fruits or white wood.

kahikatea

1. kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides)

• Gardner, Rhys (2005) “A botanist follows a linguist through the New Zealand bush: origins of Maori plant-names”, in Auckland Botanical Society Journal‎^[1], volume 60, number 1, Auckland Botanical Society, pages 28-31
• “Kahika, Kahikatea”, in Te Māra Reo‎^[2], Benson Family Trust, 2023