taniwha

Noun

Meaning

(New Zealand) A spirit or monster in Maori mythology, especially one that dwells in the water.

(New Zealand) A person who embodies the spirit of a taniwha.

Examples

A fuller version of the saying, "Waikato taniwha rau, he piko he taniwha, he piko he taniwha" (Waikato of a hundred taniwha, a taniwha on each bend) implies that there is a taniwha, that is, a powerful chief, on each bend of the Waikato River. Source: Internet

Another story concerns three taniwha which escorted (Ngāti) Ruanui and Ngā Puhi on the journey from Hawaiki after the people called out to the atua (spiritual overlords) seeking a means of safe passage. Source: Internet

Although he was unable to kill it, his actions tamed the taniwha. Source: Internet

Beliefs in the existence of taniwha have a potential for controversy where they have been used to block or modify development and infrastructure schemes. Source: Internet

Etymology and Pacific analogues Linguists have reconstructed the word taniwha to Proto-Oceanic *tanifa, with the meaning "shark species". Source: Internet

Hine-kōrako was a female taniwha who married a human man, and Pānia was a woman from the sea who married a human and gave birth to a taniwha (Orbell 1998:150). Source: Internet

Close letter words and terms