rahui means in Māori and Polynesian culture, restriction of access to a place, as a form of taboo. It carries an Arena rating of 1596, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, rahui ranks #1,154 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #1,224 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,716 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #1,936 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
Why “rahui” is a great word
RAHUI — [Noun] In Māori and Polynesian culture, a ritual or social prohibition enacted upon a place, temporarily restricting access or use, often for conservation, healing, or societal protection. Borrowed from Māori *rāhui*. Unlike "tapu" (which refers to an inherent, enduring state of sacredness) or "embargo" (which is a political and economic sanction), rahui is a dynamic covenant: an imposed pause. It is a post driven into the sand of a depleted fishing ground, a cord of flax knotted around a blighted forest path, or the solemn silence that falls over a beach where the sea has taken a life—a purposeful stillness that allows the world, and its people, to mend.
Etymology
Borrowed from Māori rāhui or Tahitian rāhui.
noun
- In Māori and Polynesian culture, restriction of access to a place, as a form of taboo.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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