runanga

R1U1N1A1N1G2A1

noun

A traditional Māori assembly or tribal council.

OriginMāori runanga →
UncommonFirst used 19th c.Scrabble 8
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Meanings

nounrunanga (plural runangas)

plural runangas

  1. New ZealandA traditional Māori assembly or tribal council.First known use 19th c.

    Ngāi Tahu with education and some familiarity with the Pākehā world exerted pressure on their rangatira and on tribal rūnanga to seek compensation from the Crown for these grievances.

    2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 317

Origin

  1. Māorirunanga“assembly, council”
  2. Englishrunanga

Borrowed from Māori runanga (“assembly, council”).

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

runanga. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runanga

MLA

“runanga.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runanga. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “runanga,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runanga.

Source: runanga on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.