Rangi
/ˈɾaŋi/noun
In Māori mythology, Rangi is the personified sky or Sky Father, often paired with Papatūānuku, Earth Mother.
Did you know?In the Māori creation tradition, Rangi and Papatūānuku were once pressed tightly together until their children separated them, creating the world of light.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Oceanic
POC
*laŋi
“Sky or heavens”
Proto-Polynesian
PPN
*laŋi
“Sky, heaven, or upper world”
Early Eastern Polynesian
EP
*raŋi
“Sky or celestial realm; the initial consonant shifted from l to r in some Polynesian languages”
Māori
Māori
rangi
“Sky, heavens, day, or weather”
Traditional Māori mythology
Māori
Rangi
“Personified Sky Father, counterpart of Papatūānuku”
Modern English
English
Rangi
“A Māori mythological name and established cultural loanword referring to the Sky Father”