# iwi

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈiːwi/ · frequency rank #78,727

## Definitions
1. An extended group of Maori kin groups or families, sharing common ancestry; a tribe. (An iwi is smaller than a waka and larger than a hapu.)

## Etymology
Borrowed from Māori iwi (literally “bone”), ultimately from Proto-Austronesian *duʀi (“thorn”). Doublet of durian, from Malay.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/iwi