Term
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Origin
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Definition
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Bionicle Use
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Respell
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Io
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Māori
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the supreme being of some Māori traditions.
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the Great Creator. replaced with unnamed Great Beings in response to the Māori intervention.
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Papu
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Māori
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from Papatūānuku. mother earth, a figure in Māori tradition
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a Great Being. replaced with unnamed Great Beings in response to the Māori intervention.
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Rangi
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Māori
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from Ranginui. the sky father, a figure in Māori tradition
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a Great Being. replaced with unnamed Great Beings in response to the Māori intervention.
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Mata Nui
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Māori
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see the Island section
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Makuta
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Hawaiian
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from Mākutu. to inflict physical and psychological harm and even death through spiritual powers. While it is easier to find documentation online on mākutu in Māori culture, Alastair Swinnerton recalls taking this term from Hawaiian instead.
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shadow of Mata Nui
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Toa
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Māori
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courage, bravery, champion, winner, expert; warrior, brave man
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spirit-guardians of the islanders. "Toa Nui" is the combined form of all six Toa
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Tahu
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Māori
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to set on fire, light, set alight, burn, ignite, combust
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the spirit of fire
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Gali
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?Gamilaraay1
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water
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the spirit of water
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Onua
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Hawaiian
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from honua. land, earth, world
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the spirit of earth
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Pohatu
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Māori
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stone
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the spirit of stone
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Lewa
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Hawaiian
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sky, atmosphere, space, air, upper heavens; aerial
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the spirit of air
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Kopaka
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Māori
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ice, frost, hail, glacier
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the spirit of ice
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Turaga
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Fijian
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chief
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chief/priest. "Turaga Nui" is the combined form of all six Turaga, or sometimes described as a historical figure
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Kahuna
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Hawaiian
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priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, expert in any profession
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early term for Turaga
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Vakama
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Fijian
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to set fire, burn
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the chief of fire
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Nokama
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the chief of water. originally named Kakama (see the Masks page), the substitution of KA for NO may be meaningless
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Whenua
|
Māori
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land - often used in the plural; ground
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the chief of earth
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Onewa
|
Māori
|
dark grey stone, basalt
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the chief of stone
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Matau
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?Fijian
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axe. term for specialised adzes, used mainly for boat-building.
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the chief of air. the air spirit Lewa uses an axe
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Nuju
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?Rotuman
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spokesman; mouthpiece (person)
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the chief of ice
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Huma
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?Māori; ?Hawaiian
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from huka, snow; or the name of the star Aquila
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early name for Nuju. Aquila is associated with eagles, and Nuju is a bird rider in his original bio.
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Tohunga
|
Māori
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skilled person, chosen expert, priest, healer
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islander. replaced with matoran in response to the Māori intervention, see the 2002 section.
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Jala
|
Rotuman
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to burn (esp. grass); to set fire; to flare up
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a fire villager
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Jaller
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Ahi
|
Māori, Hawaiian
|
fire
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early name for Jaller
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Kapura
|
Māori
|
fire (northern dialects)
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a fire villager
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Maku
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Māori
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wet, moist, damp, soggy; dampness, wetness, moisture
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a water villager
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Macku
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Kotu
|
Māori
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from koutu, to dip, dip into for the purpose of filling
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a water villager
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Inu
|
Māori
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to drink
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early name for Kotu
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Onepu
|
Māori
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sandy; sand
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an earth villager
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Taipu
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Māori
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sand hill, sand dune
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an earth villager
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Huki
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Māori
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from huke, to dig up, expose by removing the earth, excavate, mine.
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a stone villager
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Hewkii
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Toka
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Māori
|
rock, large stone, boulder
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early name for Hewkii
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Hafu
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Rotuman
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rock, stone
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a stone villager
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Maro
|
Māori
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stiff, hard, solid, unyielding
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early name for Hafu
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Kongu
|
Māori
|
be cloudy, overcast
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an air villager
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Tamaru
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Māori
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to shade, cloud, overshadow; overcast, gloom
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an air villager
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Matoro
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an ice villager
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Tio
|
Māori
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ice, freezing cold
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early name for Matoro
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Kopeke
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Māori
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cold; be cold
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an ice villager
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Lhii
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?Tahitian
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from lhi, skill, wisdom, dexterity
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a renowned lava-surfing fire villager
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Lhikan
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Nobua
|
original
|
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an enthusiastic earth villager
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Tamariki
|
Māori
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young, youthful, immature
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early name for Nobua
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Podu
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a stone villager
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Takua
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?Tongan2
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to call by; to designate
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the default player character name in the GBA game. It would seem the intent was to have a ‘Bionicle’ version of the default name being just ‘name’.
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Takanuva
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Kaita
|
Māori
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be large, big, major
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combined form of three Toa
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Akamai
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Hawaiian
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smart, clever, expert; smartness, skill, wit.
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the kaita of valor (orig. wisdom)
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Wairuha
|
Māori
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from wairua, complex concept broadly comparable to the 'soul'/'spirit'
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the kaita of wisdom (orig. spirit)
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