Etymology

marae

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Today it means: The courtyard of a Maori wharenui or meeting-house, seen as a cultural and spiritual focal point. Full definition →

First used 19th c.Māori marae ← Tahitian marae ← Proto-Oceanic *malaqe
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The story

  1. Proto-Oceanic · derived from*malaqe
  2. Tahitian · borrowed frommarae
  3. Māori · borrowed frommarae
  4. English todaymarae

Borrowed from Māori marae and Tahitian marae, from Proto-Oceanic *malaqe.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. The courtyard of a Maori wharenui or meeting-house, seen as a cultural and spiritual focal point.
  • from 18th c. A Polynesian sacred altar or enclosure.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.