wairua

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Maori wairua.

Noun

wairua (plural wairuas or wairua)

1. (New Zealand) A spirit associated with a person or thing, according to Māori beliefs.

Maori

Noun

wairua

1. a soul or spirit of a person
2. attitude, quintessence, mood, essence
3. bonfire moss (Funaria hygrometrica)

Coordinate terms

• atua (a god, a deity)
• māori (human beings)

Descendants

• → English: wairua

References

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