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Subject: 
Where did these names come from?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.technic.bionicle
Date: 
Tue, 10 Jul 2001 05:21:41 GMT
Viewed: 
413 times
  
The last box of stuff is about to arrive home from my Pacific Ocean travels,
supplying a habit I never expected to acquire: a taste for Pacific island
languages. Dictionaries coming tomorrow!

Meanwhile, I have been wondering, these Bionicle names are all nonsense Lego
words, right? Or just borrowed names? Or, is someone even having a joke with
them?

For example, there really is an island called Motu Nui--it's off the
southern tip of Rapanui (Easter Island).  Mata is an easier kids' sound,
obviously.

Obviously, toa means warrior, man strong in battle...

Whenua (Turaga for Village of Earth) means land in some old Polynesian
dialects (later pronounced fenua). Tahu (Toa of Fire) means either fire or
sky (I'm not sure which.)

Other names are recognizable but seem borrowed just for the coolness:
Kane-ra, manas, Tarakava.

This may be the most interesting aspect of the series. Yet I feel the
strange compunction to collect them all now.... maybe they'll come out with
the Matua toa.....



Message has 3 Replies:
  Re: Where did these names come from?
 
(...) The names and words are taken from the Maori culture of New Zealand. Check out the controversy here: (URL) (23 years ago, 10-Jul-01, to lugnet.technic.bionicle)
  Re: Where did these names come from?
 
(...) Ah! I see you haven't been frequenting the .bionicle group, have you? For shame! If you hadn't *INSISTED* on going off, getting married, and having a honeymoon recently, you would have seen this: (URL) this: (URL) how 'bout a little of this: (...) (23 years ago, 10-Jul-01, to lugnet.technic.bionicle)
  Re: Where did these names come from?
 
in article GG8s85.Eu4@lugnet.com, Erik Olson at olsone@spamcop.net wrote on 7/9/01 10:21 PM: (...) For some reason I associate Toa with the name for the stone heads on Easter Island. Isn't it "Moa" or something similar? - Jordan lundj@earthlink.net (...) (23 years ago, 7-Aug-01, to lugnet.technic.bionicle)

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