iwi

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Maori iwi (literally “bone”), ultimately from Proto-Austronesian *duʀi (“thorn”). Doublet of durian, from Malay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈiːwi/
• Rhymes: -iːwi

Noun

iwi (plural iwis or iwi)

1. (New Zealand) An extended group of Maori kin groups or families, sharing common ancestry; a tribe. (An iwi is smaller than a waka and larger than a hapu.) [from 19th c.]
   • 1996, Diane Bell, Renate Klein, Radically speaking: feminism reclaimed, page 505:

     Through her, the women of my iwi are also beautiful, strong and powerful.

   • 2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 78:

     Ngati Porou and the related iwi Ngāti Kahungunu were major tribes down the East Coast of the North Island.

Anagrams

• Wii

Abinomn

Noun

iwi

1. little brother

German

Adverb

iwi

1. (Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of irgendwie.

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hui, from Proto-Oceanic *suʀi/ruʀi (“thorn, splinter, fish bone”), from Proto-Austronesian *duʀi (“thorn”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈi.wi/, [ˈi.ʋi]

Noun

iwi

1. bone

Lokono

Noun

iwi

1. fruit

References

• de Goeje, C. H. (1928) The Arawak Language of Guiana‎^[2], Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 45

Loloda

Etymology

Uncertain. Cognate with Galela iwi, Tobelo iwi, and Tabaru 'ii, but not reconstructible to Proto-Northeast Halmaheran due to irregular sound correspondences. Likely a borrowing (following the split of PNeH) from Austronesian, with subsequent vowel assimilation; compare Proto-Malayic *hui.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈi.wi/

Noun

iwi

1. rattan, rotan

References

• M. J. van Baarda (1904) Het Lòda'sch, in vergelijking met het Galėla'sch dialect op Halmaheira

Maia

Noun

iwi

1. number

Maori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hui (cognate with Samoan ivi and Tahitian ivi), from Proto-Oceanic *suʀi/ruʀi (“thorn, splinter, fish bone”), from Proto-Austronesian *duʀi (“thorn” – compare with Malay duri “thorn”, Old Javanese rwi and ri “thorn”, Central Dusun rugi, Bikol Central dugi “fishbone”).

Sense of lineage may have been by analogy of bones especially the ribs joining the spine (tuaiwi or iwitua) at the back (tua) – see also parallels in tāhuhu “ridgepole” being the "backbone" of the wharenui (i.e. compared to a body lying in a prone position) hence also meaning “lineage”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈiwi/

Noun

iwi

1. bone

   Synonym: kōiwi

2. strength
3. extended kinship group, tribe, nation, people, nationality, race (often refers to a large group of people descended from a common ancestor and associated with a distinct territory)

Derived terms

Of sense 'bone'

• iwikore
• iwitua
• kōiwi
• patu iwi (“bone weapon”)
• tuaiwi
• tūreiti e te iwi (“too late”)

Of sense 'group', 'tribe' etc

• aukati iwi (“racism”)
• iwi kāinga (“local people, hosts, home crowd”)
• Iwi Poa (“Afrikaners, Boers - South Africans of Dutch descent”)
• iwi taketake (“indigenous people, native people”)
• iwi whānui (“general population, public”)
• iwi whenua (“indigenous people, native people”)
• kaiwhakawhanaunga ā-iwi (“race relations conciliator”)
• Mana Whakahaere ā-Iwi (“Iwi Authority”)
• patu iwi (“weapon for destroying people; genocide”)
• poutoko iwi (“community leader”)
• reo ā-iwi (“dialect, tribal dialect”)
• rūnanga ā-iwi (“tribal council”)
• Tari Tiaki Iwi (“Public Trust”)
• tauiwi (“foreigner, non-Maori”)
• tikanga ā-iwi (“cultural practice, social science, tribal custom”)
• Tira Ahu Iwi (“Iwi Transition Agency”)
• tūreiti e te iwi (“too late”)
• Ngā Iwi (“a tribe that once lived in the Auckland area”)
• Whakaratonga Iwi (“New Zealand Fire Service”)

Further reading

• Williams, Herbert William (1917) “iwi”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, page 95
• “iwi” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Tagalog

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔiwi/ [ˈʔiː.wɪ]
• Rhymes: -iwi
• Syllabification: i‧wi

Noun

iwi (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜏᜒ)

1. taking care of a domestic animal in behalf of the owner (while possibly getting half of its offspring as his share)
2. domestic animal taken care of in behalf of the owner
3. (by extension) rearing of a child; bringing up of children

   Synonyms: alaga, pag-aalaga

4. (figurative) possession of talent, beauty, etc.

   Synonyms: angkin, pag-aangkin, taglay, pagtataglay

5. (figurative) something possessed

   Synonym: pag-aari

Derived terms

• ipaiwi
• iwihin
• mag-iwi
• pag-iiwi
• pag-iwi
• paiwi
• tagaiwi

See also

• iwan

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔiˈwi/ [ʔɪˈwɪ]
• Rhymes: -i
• Syllabification: i‧wi

Noun

iwí (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜏᜒ)

1. (western Marinduque) scorpion

   Synonyms: alakdan, atang-atang, (colloquial) pitumbuko

Ye'kwana

Variant orthographies

ALIV	iwi
Brazilian standard	iwi
New Tribes	iwi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ivi]

Noun

iwi

1. the Amazonian brown brocket, Mazama nemorivaga

References

• Alberto Rodriguez, Nalúa Rosa Silva Monterrey, Hernán Castellanos, et al., editors (2012), “iwi”, in Ye’kwana-Sanema Nüchü’tammeküdü Medewadinña Tüwötö’se’totojo [Guidelines for the management of the Ye’kwana and Sanema territories in the Caura River basin in Venezuela]‎^[3] (overall work in Ye'kwana and Spanish), Forest Peoples Programme, →ISBN, page 125
• Hall, Katherine Lee (1988) The morphosyntax of discourse in De'kwana Carib, volumes I and II, Saint Louis, Missouri: PhD Thesis, Washington University, page 391: “iwi - small deer”

Yoruba

Etymology

Compare with ewì (“Yoruba poetry”)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ī.wì/

Noun

iwì

1. A form of Yoruba oral poetry, consisting of chanting and invocation performed by worshippers of the Egúngún

   Synonym: ẹ̀sà