kahuna

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See also: kāhuna

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Hawaiian kahuna (shaman, wizard).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

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[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Hawaiian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /kaˈhu.na/, [kəˈhu.nə]

Noun[edit]

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[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • English: kahuna