Kāinga
/ˈkaːiŋa/noun
A Māori word meaning home, dwelling place, village, or settlement.
Did you know?Kāinga is related to the Māori word kai, “food,” reflecting the ancient Polynesian association between residence, communal meals, and the people who belong to one settlement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*kainga
“Settlement, dwelling place, or place associated with eating”
Early Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*kai
“Food; to eat”
13th–14th Century
Māori
kāinga
“Home, village, settlement, or inhabited place”
19th Century
Māori
kāinga
“A dwelling place or home, especially within a Māori community”
Modern English
New Zealand English
kāinga
“A Māori home, settlement, or place of belonging”