tena koutou
/ˈtɛːnɑː ˈkɔutɔu/exclamation NZ
A Maori greeting addressed to three or more people: I say tena koutou, greetings to you all...
- I would just like to say tena koutou.
- They all stood up in here, wearing the biggest bone carvings they could, hunched up over their desks, and said: "Tena koutou, I acknowledge the Maori people in my area."
- Therefore, we support this bill and we pay our respects: tena koutou.
Origin
Mid 19th century: Maori, literally 'there you are'.