Moana
/moʊˈɑːnə/noun
A Polynesian word meaning ocean or open sea, also used as a personal name and proper noun in English.
Did you know?In Polynesian cultures, the ocean was not merely a landscape but a living route connecting islands, ancestors, spirits, and entire communities.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Oceanic
Proto-Oceanic
*moana
“Ocean or deep open sea”
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*moana
“Open ocean; deep sea”
Ancient Polynesia
Polynesian
moana
“The sea or ocean, especially the broad ocean between islands”
Modern Māori
Māori
moana
“Sea, ocean, or large body of water”
Modern Hawaiian
Hawaiian
moana
“Ocean or open sea”
20th–21st Century
English
Moana
“A Polynesian personal name and English proper noun, popularized internationally by the Disney film”
Explore more surprising origins