kōhanga

Māori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kofa-ŋa (“nest”), from *kofa (from Proto-Oceanic *kopa) plus nominalizing suffix From *-ŋa.

Cognate with Hawaiian ʻohana (“family, relatives, kin”), Rarotongan koʻanga (“nest”), Samoan ōfaga (“nest”), Tahitian ʻōfaʻaraʻa (“nest”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkoːhaŋa/ [ˈkoːhɐŋɐ]

Noun

kōhanga

1. nest, nursery
2. birthplace, cradle, homeland, stronghold, bastion

Further reading

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