hei-tiki

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hei-tiki

/ˌhæeˈtiki/ New Zealand
/ˌheɪˈtɪki/ UK

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Māori heitiki, from hei (“to tie around the neck; scarf, pendant”) + tiki (“carving of a human figure”).

noun hei-tiki · hei-tikis · heitiki · hei tiki

New Zealand An ornamental pendant (typically made of pounamu or greenstone) among the Māori, worn around the neck, representing a human figure traditionally connected with Tiki, the first human in Maori mythology. The ability to work stone and bone was also prized, for the production of essential tools such as adzes and fishhooks, and for the quality of ornaments such as pendants and hei tiki.

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MLA

"hei-tiki." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hei-tiki. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

hei-tiki. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hei-tiki

Chicago

"hei-tiki." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hei-tiki.

BibTeX

@misc{hei_tiki_2026,
  title = {hei-tiki},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hei-tiki},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}