Moa-Nalo
/ˌmoʊ.ə ˈnɑː.loʊ/noun
Moa-nalo is a group of extinct, flightless Hawaiian ducks that evolved into large, herbivorous birds.
Did you know?Moa-nalo were not true moas: the name was coined by paleontologists for giant Hawaiian ducks that lost the ability to fly after reaching predator-poor islands.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*moa
“Fowl or chicken”
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*nalo
“To disappear, be lost, or vanish”
Pre-European Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian
moa
“Chicken or fowl”
Pre-European Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian
nalo
“Lost, vanished, or hidden”
20th Century
Scientific English
moa-nalo
“A taxonomic name for extinct, flightless Hawaiian ducks”