Ariki
/ˈaɾiki/noun
A high-ranking chief, noble, or hereditary leader in Māori and other Polynesian societies.
Did you know?In traditional Māori society, an ariki’s authority was often regarded as inherited sacred power, or mana, linking genealogy, leadership, ritual, and the supernatural.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Oceanic, reconstructed
POC
*qariki
“A chiefly or high-status person; this reconstruction is proposed as an ancestral form, though its deeper origin is debated.”
Proto-Polynesian, reconstructed
PPN
*ariki
“Chief, noble, or person of elevated rank.”
Early Polynesian period
Polynesian
*ariki
“Hereditary chief or high-ranking leader, with political and sacred authority.”
Eastern Polynesian
Proto-Eastern Polynesian
*ariki
“Chief or paramount noble.”
Māori, pre-European period
Māori
ariki
“High chief or senior chiefly figure, especially one connected with chiefly descent and ritual authority.”
Modern English
English
ariki
“A Māori or Polynesian chief, noble, or hereditary leader.”