The story
Whānau also means to be born, which is where the word starts: the people you come from and the people who come from you. New Zealand English uses it freely, often stretching it to close friends. The plain English word is family.
whānau
FAH-now[ˈfaːnaʉ]
the extended family, cousins and all
Closest in English: family, kin, kinfolk. None of them covers it.
How it went in the game
Contains the answers. If you want to play the word yourself first, leave this closed.
- Which language is it from?Māori
- How does it sound in New Zealand?Everyday, in English sentences too
- Where would you hear it?Three generations at a marae birthday
- What does it mean?Everyone related to you, cousins too
More words from Māori
All words from Māori ›More words about people
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