taniwha

T1A1N1I1W4H4A1
UK/ˈtanɪfə/New Zealand/ˈtʌnifə/

noun

A spirit or monster in Maori mythology, especially one that dwells in the water.

OriginMāori taniwha →
RareFirst used 19th c.Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nountaniwha (plural taniwha or taniwhas)

plural taniwhas

  1. New ZealandA spirit or monster in Maori mythology, especially one that dwells in the water.First known use 19th c.

    Doom! doom! the taniwha hath come!

    1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 168
  2. New ZealandA person who embodies the spirit of a taniwha.

Origin

  1. Māoritaniwha
  2. Englishtaniwha

Borrowed from Māori taniwha.

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

taniwha. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taniwha

MLA

“taniwha.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taniwha. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “taniwha,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taniwha.

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