Hori (slur)


"Hori" is a derogatory term for a person of Māori descent. The term comes from a transliteration of the English name George, which was very popular during the early years of European colonisation of New Zealand. By means of synecdoche, the term came to be ascribed firstly to any unknown male Māori and then as a negative epithet to all male Māori.
The usage as a derogatory term for Māori grew with the increasing urbanisation of Māori and is still common, though its usage may be less than in past decades. The level of offence implied by the use of the term has varied over time and with context. In the mid-1950s, there was a radio sketch "Dad and Hori" and in the early 1960s, the Pākehā writer W. Norman McCallum published several bestselling comedic books under the pseudonym "Hori". The pseudonym was chosen as a typical Māori name and the books depicted Māori as overweight, lazy, and happy-go lucky.
In recent years amongst Māori it has to some extent been "reclaimed" by the community which it was originally intended to insult - being often used as a term of endearment or as a signifier of "keeping it real". An example is the musical group AHoriBuzz, the frontman of which describes the term as embracing Māori humour. This "reclamation" over the last 20 years has progressed so far that many youth may have no idea that the word is a racial slur.