Kiwi Names a Bird, a Fruit and a New Zealander
A kiwi is a flightless New Zealand bird. The fruit was renamed after it for marketing reasons.
A kiwi is a flightless bird found only in New Zealand, and also a New Zealander and a fruit. The fruit is not native: it came from China and was sold as the Chinese gooseberry until 1959, when New Zealand exporters renamed it kiwifruit — partly for the bird, partly because Cold War trade made a Chinese name unhelpful in American markets. The bird is remarkable in itself, laying an egg up to a quarter of the mother's body weight.
- A flightless bird. *A brown kiwi.*
- A New Zealander. *A Kiwi.*
- A fruit. *Kiwifruit.*
- Chinese gooseberry — the old name. *Chinese gooseberry.*
- Maori — *kiwi*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | kiwi | A kiwi. |
| Plural | kiwis | Kiwis. |
| Compound | kiwifruit | Kiwifruit. |
| Maori | kiwi | The bird. |
| Renamed | 1959 | The fruit. |
- The kiwi forages at night.Bird.
- Slice the kiwifruit thinly.Food.
- It was renamed in 1959.History.
What makes the kiwi unusual
- Its egg can reach a quarter of the mother's body weight
- Nostrils at the beak tip, unique among birds
- A strong sense of smell, rare in birds
- Marrow-filled bones rather than the hollow ones of fliers
- Feathers resembling coarse hair
Maori *kiwi*, the bird, probably imitative of its call. The fruit was renamed in 1959.
Is kiwifruit from New Zealand?
No. It originated in China and was called the Chinese gooseberry until New Zealand exporters renamed it in 1959.
What is unusual about the kiwi bird?
Its egg can reach a quarter of the mother's body weight, and it has nostrils at the tip of its beak, unique among birds.