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Leo | Todd |
Todd: OK, Leonard, now, when most people think of Kiwi, at least Americans, we think of the fruit.
Leo: Right, right. Also in Japan as well.
Todd: Oh, really! OK. But, uh, people from New Zealand are called Kiwis not because of the fruit I take it.
Leo: That's right. That's right. The nickname for New Zealanders is Kiwi, and actually the Kiwi bird... Kiwi is actually a Maori name, and Maori are the native people of New Zealand.
Todd: Oh, wow!
Leo: And so Kiwi, the pronunciation of Kiwi K-I-W-I KEE-WEE, Maori has similar pronunciation to the Japanese language, ah, ee, uu, eh, oh. They pronounce the vowels.
Todd: OK. I'm..what is Kiwi?
Leo: A kiwi is a nocturnal bird, which only walks, it doesn't fly.
Todd: OK. So nocturnal means it only comes out at night.
Leo: Right. Right. And in the deep forest. Actually, you'd never see a Kiwi if you went to New Zealand, unless you went to the zoo.
Todd: Oh, really!
Leo: Right!
Todd: OK.
Leo: And the brown Kiwi is the most, uh, rarest of them all. They're only I think, there are less than one thousand brown kiwis left.
Todd: Wow. So..
Leo: It can only be found in New Zealand.
Todd: Ok. OK. maybe I missed it but can it fly.
Leo: No, no it can't.
Todd: It can't fly.
Leo: It can only walk.
Todd: Wow, so it only comes out at night...in the deep forest and it can't fly.
Leo: You'd be surprised. If you go to New Zealand, uh, there are over twenty different types of birds that walk.
Todd: Really! That's fascinating. Well, thanks for telling us about the Kiwi.
Leo: You're welcome.
