Where does “Aotearoa” come from?

Aotearoa comes from Maori Aotearoa, derived from Maori ao, ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian and Proto-Austronesian qalejaw, a word of uncertain meaning.

Aotearoa (English): The North Island of New Zealand

Definitions

  1. The North Island of New Zealand

Ancestry of “Aotearoa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1MaoriAotearoalong white cloud; North Island; New Zealand; long...
2Maoriaodaytime; world; cloud
3Proto-Polynesianqaocloud

Words derived from “Aotearoa”

Every word from Proto-Polynesian qao →Every word from Maori ao →Every word from Maori Aotearoa →