, first of all i don't know if theis should be here, second I was looking through a book about easter island and in it they said that there was something that was on the island and it had a translation which one of the words was commonlt mistaken for the word earth, BUT the word for earth was henua which if you add a W to it it becomes whenua which is the name of the turaga of the city of the toa of earth!
THAT'S WHERE THEY GOT HIS NAME!!!!!!!!

Hey that makes sense, considering that many of bionicle's word are derived from the Maori language.
Nice find and welcome to bzpower!

off topic: 500 post!

Intersting! I actually found out some other Bionicle names and their Maori origin:

Tahu- Burn
Kapura- Fire
Kohatu- Stone (close to Pohatu)
Hau- Air (??)
Kaukau- Swim

I never knew that the names were derived from Maori. See if you can find more bionicle names

50th post! lol. anyway, yes, I think that Lego got a lot of words in bionicle from different Lagueges... such as Tohunga, and Pohatu,a nd a few others, so yes, that's true.

Cool! I had heard some words were in maori, but I didn't know which ones. Nice work!

Yep, you're right! That's why Lego named Whenua "Whenua", because he was the Turaga of "Earth".

This Maori name for a toy was one of the reasons the Maori got so mad with Lego, as Pohatu, Tahu, Tohunga, and a few other words were also Maori. So, of course, now, Lego isn't using Maori words anymore...

-IT

QUOTE (Almighty Turahk @ Mar 20 2003, 04:56 PM)

Hau- Air (??)

Hau also means shelter. I guess that makes more sence.

-Tahri

You know, I can't help but think this is a dupe several times over. If I haven't seen about 50 topics like this before.

-Elzaban

pretty darn cool!
all i know is that in Hawaiin(sp?) Kauaku means eating LOL

well the difference from those and this one was that "henua" is a word from the native language of easter island and maori do not inhabit that island, because it's roughly 1000 miles away and there're almost no island between them, and it's a preeety long canoe trip

Interesting find and good deduction Watson nayways Ill have to get a look at the book... its only what.. two houses down lol. Anyway I wonder if it is Maori..

[Proto]

QUOTE (<manas> @ Mar 20 2003, 05:56 PM)

well the difference from those and this one was that "henua" is a word from the native language of easter island

Not at all. LEGO used a Maori word for the name of the Turaga of Earth, not an Easter Island word.
The meaning of the Maori word whenua is: afterbirth, country, earth, ground, land.

-Vorahk

got proof of that? i got a book, written text that was not written by myself or anyone under the age of 20, so there, and gimme some proof of what you say then i'll believe you

QUOTE (<manas> @ Mar 20 2003, 06:45 PM)

got proof of that? i got a book, written text that was not written by myself or anyone under the age of 20, so there, and gimme some proof of what you say then i'll believe you

What proof? Nothing easier.
Go here.
Type in the box "whenua" then press on the "Translate to English" button. Nothing simpler.

-Vorahk

*slinks away beaten* *yells back* YOU SURE THEY GOT IT RIGHT??? THE INTERNET CAN BE WRONG QUITE OFTEN!!!

There are other Maori-English translator sites out there, you can check them if you're still not convinced.
------------
And the point of this topic is...?

-Vorahk

QUOTE (Almighty Turahk @ Mar 20 2003, 11:56 AM)

Intersting! I actually found out some other Bionicle names and their Maori origin: Tahu- Burn Kapura- Fire Kohatu- Stone (close to Pohatu) Hau- Air (??) Kaukau- Swim

maybe in Maori, but in Hawaiian (the rock I'm sitting on), Hau means ice and kaukau means food! You're right about Kohatu. And strangely enough, Akamai means Wisdom in Hawaii. And Rama means rum. PM me for more translations.


also, good find. I need to find a Maori dictionary.

website not responding.well this is all very interesting, but i got a topic to post-er 2 topics

Heres somthing to chew on... Easter Island was called Rapa-Nui by its natives.

i kinda new that kapu-it was on the build yer own site thing.kopeke/matao=coldtree=ratau