Atua
/ˈa.tu.a/noun
A god, deity, or supernatural spirit in Polynesian religious traditions.
Did you know?In Māori tradition, atua could include major gods such as Tāne and Tangaroa, but the term also covered powerful ancestral or environmental spirits rather than only creator gods.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*atua
“God, deity, or supernatural being”
Pre-European Polynesia
Polynesian
atua
“A god or spirit connected with the sacred and supernatural world”
18th Century
Tahitian
atua
“God, deity, or spirit; recorded by European explorers and missionaries”
19th Century
Māori
atua
“God, supernatural being, or spiritual power”
19th–20th Century
English
atua
“A Polynesian deity or spirit, used as a loanword in English ethnographic and religious writing”
Modern English
English
atua
“A Polynesian god, deity, or supernatural spirit”