haka

haka

See also: háka, häkä, and håkå

English

WOTD – 6 February 2018

Etymology

Maori warriors performing a haka at a pōhiri ceremony to welcome United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta when he visited Auckland, New Zealand, on 21 September 2012

Borrowed from Maori haka, from Proto-Polynesian *saka, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sakaŋ. The word is cognate with Hawaiian haʻa (“dance”), Mangarevan ʻaka (“to perform a traditional dance; a usually warlike dance accompanied by a chant”), Rarotongan ʻaka (“dance”), Samoan saʻa (“dance”), Tokelauan haka (“dance”), Tongan haka (“hand action made while singing”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhɑːkə/, /ˈhæ-/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhɑkə/, /ˈhæ-/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈhaka/, /ˈhaːka/
• Rhymes: -ɑːkə, -ækə, -ʌkə
• Homophone: Hakka (in some dialects)
• Hyphenation: ha‧ka

Noun

haka (plural hakas or haka)

1. A group dance of New Zealand's Maori people featuring rhythmic chanting, vigorous facial and arm movements, and foot stamping. Traditionally a war dance, today it is also performed to welcome guests, as a mark of respect at occasions such as commemorations and funerals, as a challenge to opposing teams at sports events, and for artistic purposes.
   • 1838, J[oel] S[amuel] Polack, chapter III, in New Zealand: Being a Narrative of Travels and Adventures during a Residence in that Country between the Years 1831 and 1837. [...] In Two Volumes, volume I, London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, publisher in ordinary to Her Majesty, OCLC 1003989957, page 81:

     After each of my retinue were presented to the chief, partaking of the honour of the ougi, or salutation, the hákà, or dance of welcome, was performed; this was commenced by our entertainers, who placed themselves in an extended line, in ranks four deep. This dance, to a stranger witnessing it for the first time, is calculated to excite the most alarming fears; […]

   • 1876 January, “A Week among the Maoris of Lake Taupo”, in The Cornhill Magazine, volume XXXIII, number 193, London: Smith, Elder & Co., 15 Waterloo Place, OCLC 561748243, page 65:

     A "Haka" is the native dance, answering to the corroboree of the Australian aboriginals, and we were anxious to see it. […] Later in the evening, however, the complaisant Herekiekie entertained a small and select party at a "Haka" in his "whare" or house (pronounced wharry). It was exactly what I expected. The performers, all male, stood in a row, one, slightly advanced, acting as fugleman. They shouted and gesticulated with the most hideous and revolting gestures, grimaces, and yells.

   • 1986, Sylvia Ashton-Warner, “Life in a Maori School”, in Teacher (A Touchstone Book), 1st Touchstone edition, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, pages 198 and 200:

     [T]he children might get up and dance in the middle of their sums. Matawhero might stand up and lead a haka if I'm not careful. Oh dear.

   • 2011 October 23, Tom Fordyce, “2011 Rugby World Cup Final: New Zealand 8 – 7 France”, in BBC Sport‎, archived from the original on 3 April 2017:

     An already febrile atmosphere within the ground before the start had been stoked still further when France's players formed an arrow formation to face down the haka, and then advanced slowly over halfway as the capacity crowd roared.

   • 2013, Matt J. Rossano, “Mountain Rituals”, in Mortal Rituals: What the Story of the Andes Survivors Tells Us about Human Evolution, New York, N.Y.; Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, pages 105–106:

     The Maori haka ritual has been made famous by the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. Before each match, the All Blacks face their opponents and engage in a synchronized display of hand-slapping, feet-stomping, chest-pumping, tongue-wagging, and eye-popping chanting and dancing designed to intimidate their opponents. The All Blacks' version of the haka is called ka-mate, a war haka or peruperu. […] But hakas are not restricted to war; they are also used as a welcome to strangers, as part of a funeral, or as part of various celebrations and ceremonies.

Derived terms

• kapa haka

Translations

group dance of New Zealand's Maori people

Arabic: هَاكَا‎ f (hākā) Armenian: հակա (hy) (haka) Bulgarian: ха́ка (bg) f (háka) Chinese: Cantonese: 毛利人戰舞 Mandarin: 哈卡舞 (hākǎwǔ) Czech: haka (cs) Galician: haka Georgian: ჰაკა (haḳa) German: Haka m Hebrew: האקה‎ Hindi: हाका (hākā) Japanese: ハカ (haka) Korean: 하카 (haka) Maori: haka Persian: هاکا‎ (hâkâ) Russian: ха́ка (ru) f (xáka) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: хака Ukrainian: га́ка f (háka)

Verb

haka (third-person singular simple present hakas, present participle hakaing, simple past and past participle hakaed)

1. (intransitive) To perform the haka.
   • 1870, Richard Taylor, “Traditions and Legends. (Continued.) [The Story of Tama te Kapua, and His Brother Wakaturia.]”, in Te Ika a Maui; or, New Zealand and Its Inhabitants. Illustrating the Origin, Manners, Customs, Mythology, Religion, Rites, Songs, Proverbs, Fables, and Language of the Maori and Polynesian Races in General; together with the Geology, Natural History, Productions, and Climate of the Country, 2nd edition, London: William Macintosh, 24, Paternoster Row; Wanganui, New Zealand: H. Ireson Jones, OCLC 57701969, page 274:

     [T]hey hoisted him up to the ridge pole and lighted the fire; they began to haka, when they were tired of that they sang songs, […]

   • 1888, John White, “Hotu-nui. (Nga-ti-maru.)”, in The Ancient History of the Maori, His Mythology and Traditions. Tai-Nui, volume IV, Wellington: By authority; George Didsbury, government printer, OCLC 918356820, pages 213–214:

     [page 213] The haka is one of the Maori's most honourable games that can be performed to entertain strangers; and when such is played it is a sign of a people of chiefs and days of peace. The people played this game to her that Te-kahu-rere-moa might haka and entertain them, that they might see how beautifully she could haka. […] [page 214] She hakaed for some time, and all the people were quite in love with her.

   • 2011, Glyn Harper, editor, Letters from Gallipoli: New Zealand Soldiers Write Home‎, Auckland: Auckland University Press, →ISBN:

     We captured the trenches midst our hakas and cheering. The other party did well, we could hear them on the opposite hill cheering, and hakaing as they went along.

Translations

to perform the haka

Further reading

• haka on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• haka (sports) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Akha

---

'Are'are

Noun

haka

1. boat

References

• Kateřina Naitoro, A Sketch Grammar of 'Are'are: The Sound System and Morpho-Syntax (2013)

---

Czech

Etymology

From Maori haka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɦaka]
• Rhymes: -aka
• Hyphenation: ha‧ka

Noun

haka f

1. haka (dance of New Zealand's Maori people featuring rhythmic chanting, vigorous facial and arm movements, and foot stamping.)
   • 2015 September 22, Pavel Jahoda, “Nejenom haka straší na MS soupeře. K vidění jsou i sipi tau či bole”, in ČT sport‎:

     Haka k Novému Zélandu a některým jeho sportovním týmům neodmyslitelně patří, ale nejznámější je ve spojení právě s ragby. Sport známý svou tvrdostí získává slavným tancem, při němž hráči používají všemožné grimasy včetně vyplazování jazyka, tleskají, plácají se po stehnech a rytmicky zpívají, kouzlo, které uchvátilo davy fanoušků po celém světě.

     Haka is inseparable from rugby. The sport, which is known for rough play, gets another charm thanks to the dance, during which the players use various facial expressions including sticking out their tongues, clap their hands and slap their thighs.

Declension

Declension of haka

	singular	plural
nominative	haka	haky
genitive	haky	hak
dative	hace	hakám
accusative	haku	haky
vocative	hako	haky
locative	hace	hakách
instrumental	hakou	hakami

---

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑkɑ/, [ˈhɑkɑ]
• Rhymes: -ɑkɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ha‧ka

Etymology 1

Borrowed from dialectal Swedish haka (compare standard hake).

Noun

haka

1. hook, clasp (type of fastener)

Declension

Inflection of haka (Kotus type 9*D/kala, k- gradation)
nominative		haka	haat
genitive		haan	hakojen
partitive		hakaa	hakoja
illative		hakaan	hakoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		haka	haat
accusative	nom.	haka	haat
	gen.	haan
genitive		haan	hakojen hakainrare
partitive		hakaa	hakoja
inessive		haassa	haoissa
elative		haasta	haoista
illative		hakaan	hakoihin
adessive		haalla	haoilla
ablative		haalta	haoilta
allative		haalle	haoille
essive		hakana	hakoina
translative		haaksi	haoiksi
instructive		—	haoin
abessive		haatta	haoitta
comitative		—	hakoineen

Possessive forms of haka (type kala)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	hakani	hakamme
2nd person	hakasi	hakanne
3rd person	hakansa

Derived terms

• latomahaka

Etymology 2

Probably borrowed from Old Swedish hagha, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hagô (“enclosure, yard; pasture”).

Noun

haka

1. corral, paddock, croft (enclosure for livestock)

Declension

Inflection of haka (Kotus type 9*D/kala, k- gradation)
nominative		haka	haat
genitive		haan	hakojen
partitive		hakaa	hakoja
illative		hakaan	hakoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		haka	haat
accusative	nom.	haka	haat
	gen.	haan
genitive		haan	hakojen hakainrare
partitive		hakaa	hakoja
inessive		haassa	haoissa
elative		haasta	haoista
illative		hakaan	hakoihin
adessive		haalla	haoilla
ablative		haalta	haoilta
allative		haalle	haoille
essive		hakana	hakoina
translative		haaksi	haoiksi
instructive		—	haoin
abessive		haatta	haoitta
comitative		—	hakoineen

Possessive forms of haka (type kala)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	hakani	hakamme
2nd person	hakasi	hakanne
3rd person	hakansa

Etymology 3

From dialectal Swedish hake.

Adjective

haka (not comparable)

1. (informal, indeclinable) very good, skilled, masterful

Usage notes

Chiefly used in the verb phrase ollahaka (+ inessive), meaning "to be (very) good at something, to be a master at". Only used predicatively in any case (never attributively).

Declension

Indeclinable.

Anagrams

• kaha

---

Hadza

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦaka/

Verb

haka

1. to go

   Synonym: etlhikwa

---

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *fata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pataʀ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈha.ka/, [ˈhɐkə]

Noun

haka

1. shelf
2. platform

References

• “haka” in the Hawaiian Dictionary, Revised and Enlarged Edition, University of Hawaii Press, 1986

---

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaːka/
• Rhymes: -aːka

Etymology 1

From Old Norse haka.

Noun

haka f (genitive singular höku, nominative plural hökur)

1. (anatomy) chin

Declension

declension of haka

f-w1	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	haka	hakan	hökur	hökurnar
accusative	höku	hökuna	hökur	hökurnar
dative	höku	hökunni	hökum	hökunum
genitive	höku	hökunnar	haka	hakanna

Etymology 2

See haki (“pick”)

Verb

haka (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative hakaði, supine hakað)

1. to pick with a pickaxe
2. to mark with a check mark (usually with the preposition við)

Conjugation

haka — active voice (germynd)

infinitive (nafnháttur)		að haka
supine (sagnbót)		hakað
present participle (lýsingarháttur nútíðar)		hakandi
	indicative (framsöguháttur)			subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur)
present (nútíð)	ég haka	við hökum	present (nútíð)	ég haki	við hökum
	þú hakar	þið hakið		þú hakir	þið hakið
	hann, hún, það hakar	þeir, þær, þau haka		hann, hún, það haki	þeir, þær, þau haki
past (þátíð)	ég hakaði	við hökuðum	past (þátíð)	ég hakaði	við hökuðum
	þú hakaðir	þið hökuðuð		þú hakaðir	þið hökuðuð
	hann, hún, það hakaði	þeir, þær, þau hökuðu		hann, hún, það hakaði	þeir, þær, þau hökuðu
imperative (boðháttur)	haka (þú)	hakið (þið)
	Forms with appended personal pronoun
	hakaðu	hakiði *
* Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

hakast — mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive (nafnháttur)		að hakast
supine (sagnbót)		hakast
present participle (lýsingarháttur nútíðar)		hakandist ** ** the mediopassive present participle is extremely rare and normally not used; it is never used attributively or predicatively, only for explicatory subclauses
	indicative (framsöguháttur)			subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur)
present (nútíð)	ég hakast	við hökumst	present (nútíð)	ég hakist	við hökumst
	þú hakast	þið hakist		þú hakist	þið hakist
	hann, hún, það hakast	þeir, þær, þau hakast		hann, hún, það hakist	þeir, þær, þau hakist
past (þátíð)	ég hakaðist	við hökuðumst	past (þátíð)	ég hakaðist	við hökuðumst
	þú hakaðist	þið hökuðust		þú hakaðist	þið hökuðust
	hann, hún, það hakaðist	þeir, þær, þau hökuðust		hann, hún, það hakaðist	þeir, þær, þau hökuðust
imperative (boðháttur)	hakast (þú)	hakist (þið)
	Forms with appended personal pronoun
	hakastu	hakisti *
* Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

hakaður — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)				plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)		masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	hakaður	hökuð	hakað		hakaðir	hakaðar	hökuð
accusative (þolfall)	hakaðan	hakaða	hakað		hakaða	hakaðar	hökuð
dative (þágufall)	hökuðum	hakaðri	hökuðu		hökuðum	hökuðum	hökuðum
genitive (eignarfall)	hakaðs	hakaðrar	hakaðs		hakaðra	hakaðra	hakaðra
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)				plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)		masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	hakaði	hakaða	hakaða		hökuðu	hökuðu	hökuðu
accusative (þolfall)	hakaða	hökuðu	hakaða		hökuðu	hökuðu	hökuðu
dative (þágufall)	hakaða	hökuðu	hakaða		hökuðu	hökuðu	hökuðu
genitive (eignarfall)	hakaða	hökuðu	hakaða		hökuðu	hökuðu	hökuðu

Noun

haka

1. indefinite accusative singular of haki
2. indefinite dative singular of haki
3. indefinite genitive singular of haki
4. indefinite accusative plural of haki
5. indefinite genitive plural of haki

---

Japanese

Romanization

haka

1. Rōmaji transcription of はか

---

Kashubian

Noun

haka f

1. hook

---

Khoekhoe

Khoekhoe cardinal numbers

<  3	4	5  >
Cardinal : haka

Numeral

haka

1. four

---

Kikuyu

FWOTD – 27 August 2019

Etymology

Hinde (1904) records kuhaka as an equivalent of English paint in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu.[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /haka/

Verb

haka (infinitive kũhaka)

1. to paint, to smear[2][3]
2. to propitiate by gift[3]
3. to bribe[2]

References

1. Hinde, Hildegarde (1904). Vocabularies of the Kamba and Kikuyu languages of East Africa, pp. 44–45. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2. Armstrong, Lilias E. (1940). The Phonetic and Tonal Structure of Kikuyu, p. 361. Rep. 1967. (Also in 2018 by Routledge).
3. Barlow, A. Ruffell (1960). Studies in Kikuyu Grammar and Idiom, pp. 64, 229.

---

Maori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *saka, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sakaŋ. Word is cognate with Hawaiian haʻa (“dance”), Mangarevan ʻaka (“to perform a traditional dance; a usually warlike dance accompanied by a chant”), Rarotongan ʻaka (“dance”), Samoan saʻa (“dance”), Tokelauan haka (“dance”), Tongan haka (“hand action made while singing”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈha.ka/, [ˈhɐ.kɐ]

Noun

haka

1. A war dance; a haka.

Usage notes

Used in the form haka-a.

Derived terms

• haka taparahi (a ceremonial haka)
• kapa haka (the participants in the haka)

Related terms

• peruperu (the proper term for the war dance)

Descendants

• → English: haka

---

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• haken

Noun

haka c

1. definite feminine singular of hake (Etymology 1)

---

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English haka, from Maori haka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑː.kɑ/

Noun

haka m (definite singular hakaen)

1. haka dance

Etymology 2

To the noun hake m.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²hɑ(ː).kɑ/

Verb

haka (present tense hakar, past tense haka, past participle haka, passive infinitive hakast, present participle hakande, imperative haka/hak)

1. a-infinitive and split infinitive form of hake

Etymology 3

From Old Norse haka f.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²hɑ(ː).kɑ/

Noun

haka f

1. definite singular of hake (“chin”)
2. (pre-2012) alternative form of hake

Etymology 4

H-insertion on ake with split infinitive. From Old Norse aka, from Proto-Germanic *akaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti.

Verb

haka (past tense hok)

1. (dialectal, Eastern Norway) alternative form of aka (“to go; glide”)
   • 1953, Holtvedt, Reidar, Historier fra Krokskauen, Oslo: Aschehoug, page 196:

     Ja, guttungen hok der forrige daen, han, og je har nå høki der je au, sa han.

     Yeah. The kid went there the other day, he. And I have gone there as well, says he.

Etymology 5

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑː.kɑ/

Noun

haka n

1. definite plural of hak

References

• “haka” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• “haka”, in Norsk Ordbok: ordbok over det norske folkemålet og det nynorske skriftmålet, Oslo: Samlaget, 1950-2016
• “haka” in Ivar Aasen (1873) Norsk Ordbog med dansk Forklaring

---

Old Norse

Etymology

Related to the root of haki (“hook, pick”), from Proto-Germanic *hakô, referring to something pointing out.[1]

Noun

haka f (genitive hǫku)

1. chin

Declension

  Declension of haka (weak ōn-stem)

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	haka	hakan	hǫkur	hǫkurnar
accusative	hǫku	hǫkuna	hǫkur	hǫkurnar
dative	hǫku	hǫkunni	hǫkum	hǫkunum
genitive	hǫku	hǫkunnar	hakna	haknanna

Descendants

• Icelandic: haka
• Norwegian: hake
• Swedish: haka
• Danish: hage

References

“haka”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

1. Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 537-538

---

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxa.ka/
• Rhymes: -aka
• Syllabification: ha‧ka

Noun

haka m

1. genitive singular of hak

---

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *faka-. Cognates include Hawaiian haʻa- and Maori whaka-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈha.ka/
• Hyphenation: ha‧ka

Particle

haka

1. Used to indicate the causative aspect.

Derived terms

• haka'ite

References

• Veronica Du Feu (1996) Rapanui (Descriptive Grammars), Routledge, →ISBN, page 153
• Paulus Kieviet (2017) A grammar of Rapa Nui‎, Berlin: Language Science Press, →ISBN, page 441

---

Swedish

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Old Norse haka.

Noun

haka c

1. chin, lower part of face

Declension

Declension of haka
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	haka	hakan	hakor	hakorna
Genitive	hakas	hakans	hakors	hakornas

Etymology 2

hake (“hook”) +‎ -a

Verb

haka (present hakar, preterite hakade, supine hakat, imperative haka)

1. (often with fast, på, or upp) to hook (attach with something hook-like)
2. (often with i) to get hooked (stuck on something hook-like, not figuratively)

Conjugation

Conjugation of haka (weak)

	Active		Passive
Infinitive	haka		hakas
Supine	hakat		hakats
Imperative	haka		—
Imper. plural1	haken		—
	Present	Past	Present	Past
Indicative	hakar	hakade	hakas	hakades
Ind. plural1	haka	hakade	hakas	hakades
Subjunctive2	hake	hakade	hakes	hakades
	Participles
Present participle	hakande
Past participle	hakad
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• haka på
• haka upp sig

References

• haka in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• haka in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• haka in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

---

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• haca – obsolete, Abecedario orthography

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ha‧ka
• IPA^(key): /ˈhakaʔ/, [ˈha.xɐʔ]

Noun

hakà

1. idea; opinion

   Synonyms: palagay, kuro, kuro-kuro, opinyon

2. notion; understanding

   Synonyms: pagkaunawa, pagkaintindi, pagkahiwatig

3. belief

   Synonyms: paniwala, paniniwala

4. guess

   Synonym: hula

5. suspicion

   Synonyms: hinala, paghihinala

Derived terms

• di-mahaka
• haka-haka
• hakain
• paghahaka