Tāne
/ˈtaː.nɛ/noun
Tāne is a major Māori atua associated with forests, birds, creativity, and the creation of humankind.
Did you know?In Māori cosmology, Tāne forced apart his parents Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, creating the world of light.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*tāne
“Man; male; husband”
Early Polynesian
Polynesian
tāne
“Male person or husband, with related forms developing across Polynesian languages”
Pre-European Māori
Māori
Tāne
“A male atua and ancestral deity associated especially with forests, birds, and life”
19th Century
Māori English
Tāne
“The name of a major Māori deity recorded in European accounts and dictionaries”
Modern English
English
Tāne
“A Māori deity, commonly identified as Tāne-mahuta or Tāne-nui-a-Rangi”
Explore more surprising origins