whā
Maori
| < 3 | 4 | 5 > |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal : whā | ||
Etymology 1
From Proto-Polynesian *fa, from Proto-Oceanic *pat, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *pat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.
Numeral
whā
Etymology 2
From Proto-Polynesian *faqa (“leaf stalk” – compare with Tahitian fā “stalk of banana, coconut or taro leaf”, Tongan faʻa, Samoan faʻa), from Proto-Oceanic *paqa (compare with Fijian ba (“taro stalk”)), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *palaqpaq (“midrib of coconut leaf” – compare with Malay pelepah, Tagalog palapa);[1][2][3] generalization from lack of coconuts found naturally in New Zealand.[4]
For sense of feather, compare with Malay bulu pelepah (lit. “frond[-shaped] hair/fur”).
Noun
whā
- any leaf of certain plants like taro and harakeke with a long and thick rachis (stalk)
- feather
- Synonym: huru
Derived terms
- karawhā
- whāwhā
References
- ^ Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “faqa.1”, in “POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online”, in Oceanic Linguistics, volume 50, number 2, pages 551-559
- ^ “Niu”, in Te Māra Reo, Benson Family Trust, 2023
- ^ Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2008) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 3: Plants, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 380-1
- ^ Bruce Biggs (1994) “New Words for a New World”, in A. K. Pawley, M. D. Ross, editors, Austronesian Terminologies: Continuity and Change (Pacific Linguistics Series C; 127), Australian National University, , page 29