Iwi
/ˈiːwi/noun
In Māori usage, an iwi is a tribe or major kin-based social group.
Did you know?The Māori word iwi retains two meanings—“bone” and “tribe”—possibly linking a people’s shared ancestry with the body’s enduring framework.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Oceanic
Proto-Oceanic
*sivi
“Bone; an ancestral form reconstructed by historical linguists.”
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*ʔivi
“Bone, with a further meaning referring to a tribe or people.”
Pre-European Māori
Māori
iwi
“Bone; tribe, nation, or large kin-based group.”
19th Century
English
iwi
“A Māori tribe or people, adopted into English descriptions of Māori society.”
Modern English
English
iwi
“A Māori tribal or kin-based social organization, especially in New Zealand contexts.”
Explore more surprising origins