Etymology

From Proto-PolynesianCategory:Māori terms inherited from Proto-Polynesian#AWACategory:Māori terms derived from Proto-Polynesian#AWA *afaa (compare with Samoan and Tongan afā “cyclone, hurricane”), from Proto-Central-Pacific *avaa, from Proto-OceanicCategory:Māori terms inherited from Proto-Oceanic#AWACategory:Māori terms derived from Proto-Oceanic#AWA *apaʀat, from Proto-Malayo-PolynesianCategory:Māori terms inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#AWACategory:Māori terms derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#AWA *habaʀat (compare with Malay barat “west”, Tagalog habagat “southwest”),^[1][2] from Proto-AustronesianCategory:Māori terms inherited from Proto-Austronesian#AWACategory:Māori terms derived from Proto-Austronesian#AWA *Sabaʀat (“southwest monsoon”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːɸaː/ [ˈɑːfɑː]Category:Māori terms with IPA pronunciation#AWA

Noun

āwhāCategory:Māori lemmas#AWACategory:Māori nouns#AWACategory:Māori entries with incorrect language header#AWACategory:Pages with entries#ĀWHĀCategory:Pages with 1 entry#ĀWHĀ

1. gale, storm, hurricane, any strong winds
2. heavy or torrential rain

   Nā te nui o te āwhā me te karawhiu o ngā haumātakataka kīhai i taea te māngoingoi ika (TWK 45:5).

   Because of the heavy rainfall and force of the hurricane fishing was not possible.

See also

• āngi
• matangi

References

Further reading

• Williams, Herbert William (1917), “āwhā”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, page 29
• John C. Moorfield (2011), “āwhā”, in Te Aka: Māori–English, English–Māori Dictionary and Index‎, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, →ISBN