kahuna

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See also: kāhuna

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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Borrowed from Hawaiian kahuna (shaman, wizard).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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kahuna (plural kahunas or kahuna)

  1. (Hawaii) A priest or priestess of the traditional Hawaiian religion.
    • 2012, Julia Flynn Siler, Lost Kingdom, Grove Press, page 230:
      They were kāhuna, practitioners of the old Hawaiian religion, apparently offering themselves as sacrifices to appease the gods so that the queen would be restored.
  2. (surfing) A great surfer.

Derived terms

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Anagrams

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Hawaiian

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Etymology

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Compound of kahu (guardian, master) +‎ -na (nominalizing suffix; compare Maori -nga).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /kaˈhu.na/, [kəˈhu.nə]

Noun

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kahuna (irregular plural kāhuna)

  1. priest, sorcerer, magician, minister, wizard
  2. expert in any profession (doctors, surgeons, dentists were referred to as such in the 1845 laws)

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • English: kahuna