koha

Meaning

Noun

• A Māori tradition of reciprocal giving of gifts.
• A voluntary donation given for a service that has been provided.
• The koel (Eudynamys), a genus of cuckoos from Asia, Australia, and the Pacific with a distinctive loud call; specifically, the Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus).

Origin

• Borrowed from Maori koha ("regard, respect; gift, present").
• Borrowed from Sinhalese කොහා ("cuckoo"), probably from Sinhalese කෝ + හඩ ("cuckoo") or ultimately as the abbreviation of the word tells, the imitation of the chirping and trilling sound.