kapaiadj.adv.
/kəˈpʌɪ/, U.S. /kəˈpaɪ/, New Zealand English /kʌˈpʌi/, /kəˈpɑe/ New Zealand.
Good, fine; also as an exclamation of pleasure or approval.
ΚΠ
1836 W. B. Marshall Personal Narr. Two Visits N.Z. ii. 256 ‘Kapai! Good!’ being the only vocable by which satisfaction at the receipt of kindness is communicable.
1840 E. Hobson Let. 29 June in A. Drummond Married & gone to N.Z. (1960) 50 My dear husband..is on excellent terms with the natives, who call him the Carpi (good) Governor.
1861 Taranaki Punch 2 Jan. 2/1 The pudding turned out kapai until we came to cut it.
1918 Chrons. N.Z.E.F. 27 Feb. 37/1 The evening was simply ‘kapai’.
1933 F. E. Baume Half-caste v. 55 You're looking kapai, Ngaire.
1938 R. Finlayson Brown Man's Burden 30 They can do South Sea hulas... Ka pai! they're very good.
1960 N. Hilliard Maori Girl ii. xiii. 153 ‘Kapai!’ shouted Henry.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1976; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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adj.adv.1836