motu

See also: Motu

English

Etymology 1

From a descendant of Proto-Polynesian *motu. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

motu (plural motus)

1. A reef islet formed by broken coral and sand, surrounding an atoll.

See also

etymologically unrelated terms containing the word "motu"

• ex proprio motu
• mero motu
• motu proprio
• suo motu

Anagrams

• MOUT, Muto, mout, toum

Etymology 2

From Māori motu “land; country, nation” descendant of Proto-Polynesian *motu as above

Noun

motu (uncountable)

1. (New Zealand) country, nation

Finnish

Etymology

From Motu [Term?].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmotu/, [ˈmo̞t̪u]
• Rhymes: -otu
• Syllabification^(key): mo‧tu
• Hyphenation^(key): mo‧tu

Noun

motu

1. Motu (language)

Declension

Inflection of motu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		motu	—
genitive		motun	—
partitive		motua	—
illative		motuun	—
		singular	plural
nominative		motu	—
accusative	nom.	motu	—
	gen.	motun
genitive		motun	—
partitive		motua	—
inessive		motussa	—
elative		motusta	—
illative		motuun	—
adessive		motulla	—
ablative		motulta	—
allative		motulle	—
essive		motuna	—
translative		motuksi	—
abessive		motutta	—
instructive		—	—
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of motu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative motuni — accusative nom. motuni — gen. motuni genitive motuni — partitive motuani — inessive motussani — elative motustani — illative motuuni — adessive motullani — ablative motultani — allative motulleni — essive motunani — translative motukseni — abessive motuttani — instructive — — comitative — — second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative motusi — accusative nom. motusi — gen. motusi genitive motusi — partitive motuasi — inessive motussasi — elative motustasi — illative motuusi — adessive motullasi — ablative motultasi — allative motullesi — essive motunasi — translative motuksesi — abessive motuttasi — instructive — — comitative — — first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative motumme — accusative nom. motumme — gen. motumme genitive motumme — partitive motuamme — inessive motussamme — elative motustamme — illative motuumme — adessive motullamme — ablative motultamme — allative motullemme — essive motunamme — translative motuksemme — abessive motuttamme — instructive — — comitative — — second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative motunne — accusative nom. motunne — gen. motunne genitive motunne — partitive motuanne — inessive motussanne — elative motustanne — illative motuunne — adessive motullanne — ablative motultanne — allative motullenne — essive motunanne — translative motuksenne — abessive motuttanne — instructive — — comitative — — third-person possessor singular plural nominative motunsa — accusative nom. motunsa — gen. motunsa genitive motunsa — partitive motuaan motuansa — inessive motussaan motussansa — elative motustaan motustansa — illative motuunsa — adessive motullaan motullansa — ablative motultaan motultansa — allative motulleen motullensa — essive motunaan motunansa — translative motukseen motuksensa — abessive motuttaan motuttansa — instructive — — comitative — —

Derived terms

compounds

• hiri-motu

Anagrams

• tomu

Isubu

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀ntʊ̀.

Noun

motu m (plural batu)

1. a man, an adult male

References

• Joseph Merrick, Alfred Saker, A Grammar of the Isubu Tongue (1852)

Latin

Noun

mōtū m

1. ablative singular of mōtus (“movement, motion”)

Lingala

Etymology

Borrowed from Bangi mutu.

Noun

motu

1. man
2. person

Māori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *motu (compare with Hawaiian moku, Rarotongan motu, Tahitian motu, Tongan motu) from Proto-Oceanic *motus (“broken off, detached” – compare with Fijian yamotu), possibly from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ma-utus (compare with Malay putus “to cut off, to sever”).

Sense of nation is derived thus: "island" (i.e. cut-off from the mainland) > "land" > "country; nation".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmotu/ [ˈmɔtʉ]

Noun

motu

1. cut, wound
2. anything separated or isolated
   1. island
   2. clump of trees
   3. ship
3. land
   1. country, nation

Verb

motu

1. to sever, cut, cut off, set free, separate
2. to be separated, moved to a distance - especially in the phrase motu ki te ara
3. to be set free, escape
4. (stative) to be cut, severed

Descendants

• Māori: mou

See also

• moutere
• whenua (“land”)

Further reading

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

Niuean

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *motu.

Noun

motu

1. island

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *motu (compare with Māori motu, Hawaiian moku) from Proto-Oceanic *motus (“broken off, detached”) (compare with Fijian yamotu), possibly from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ma-utus.

Noun

motu

1. island (usually a small islet)

Tahitian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *motu (compare with Māori motu, Hawaiian moku) from Proto-Oceanic *motus (“broken off, detached”) (compare with Fijian yamotu), possibly from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ma-utus.

Noun

motu

1. island

Tonga (Malawi)

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀jótò.

Noun

motu class 3

1. fire

Tongan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *motu (compare with Māori motu, Hawaiian moku) from Proto-Oceanic *motus (“broken off, detached”) (compare with Fijian yamotu), possibly from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ma-utus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mo.tu/

Noun

motu

1. island

Related terms

• otu