Iwi (Māori)
/ˈiːwi/noun
A Māori tribe, tribal group, or people descended from a common ancestor.
Did you know?In Māori, iwi can mean both “tribe” and “bone,” linking collective identity with ancestry and the physical remains of one’s forebears.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Austronesian period
Proto-Austronesian
*qibi?
“A proposed ancestral form associated with “bone”; the reconstruction is debated.”
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*iwi
“Bone; by extension, lineage or people connected through ancestry.”
Before European contact
Māori
iwi
“Bone, tribe, or major kin-based social group.”
19th Century
Māori-English
iwi
“A Māori tribal community or people, increasingly used in English descriptions of Māori society.”
Modern English
English
iwi
“A Māori tribe or tribal grouping, commonly retained as a Māori cultural term.”
Explore more surprising origins