marae

English

Etymology

Polynesian.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /məˈɹʌɪ/
  • Rhymes: -aɪ

Noun

marae (plural maraes)

  1. (archaic) a Polynesian sacred altar or enclosure
    • 2004: The path ended down by the sea at a crumbling ‘ingot’ of black coral, twenty yards in length & in height two men. ‘A marae, this is called,’ Mr Wagstaff informed me. ‘All over the South Seas you see ’em, I’m told.’ — David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
  2. The courtyard of a Maori wharenui or meeting-house and the buildings around it.

Anagrams

Maori

Noun

marae

  1. The courtyard of a wharenui or meeting-house and the buildings around it.

See also

Rapa Nui

Noun

marae

  1. A paved plaza in front of an ahu for ancestor worship.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.