taonga

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Maori.

Noun

taonga (plural taonga or taongas)

  1. (New Zealand) In Maori culture, any treasured thing, whether tangible or intangible.
    • 2013, Radio New Zealand, Waitangi Tribunal visits islands prized as taonga‎[1]:
      The islands and fishing grounds that are now a jewel in the crown of tourism were from the earliest days populated and prized by Maori as taonga.

Maori

Etymology

From Proto-Central Eastern Polynesian *taoŋa "treasured possession". Cognatate with Hawaiian kaona (“hidden meaning”).

Noun

taonga

  1. property
  2. anything treasured or highly prized

Further reading

  • “taonga” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.
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