English word origin

Etymology of motu

From a descendant of Proto-Polynesian *motu.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A reef islet formed by broken coral and sand, surrounding an atoll.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From a descendant of Proto-Polynesian *motu.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mention*motupoz-pol-pro

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "poz-pol-pro",
        "3": "*motu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Polynesian *motu"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*motu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Polynesian/motu"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A reef islet formed by broken coral and sand, surrounding an atoll."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c6b557c52d862430f340fdbf7d3120a64ad118fe0de51e0ffddcf8462ad6e6e2",
      "rawRecordSha256": "15cd996fc121864b48ecc108996704f19d1685e1480cbbdc9d1203b497844c5d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 155343
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Country, nation, particularly New Zealand.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Māori motu “land; country, nation” descendant of Proto-Polynesian *motu as above

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionmotumi
Derivation mention*motupoz-pol-pro

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mi",
        "3": "motu"
      },
      "expansion": "Māori motu"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "poz-pol-pro",
        "3": "*motu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Polynesian *motu"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "motu",
      "motu#Māori"
    ],
    [
      "*motu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Polynesian/motu"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Country, nation, particularly New Zealand."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "45533a7e3a43e1c7c5ea75d93b7d6addf224026b09d7eec6ee34775e12cf4791",
      "rawRecordSha256": "6c547ac7c56b66c18ab840e24f8438cf7f8a47c0b7c59ef19121a81b82bf7a53",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 155344
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for motu →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bW90dQ