atua

British  

/ ˈɑːtuːə /

noun

1. a spirit or demon

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Etymology

Origin of atua

Māori

Example Sentences

The objects of worship among the Tahitians, next to the atua or gods, were the oramatuas tiis or spirits.

From The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead Vol. II by Frazer, James George, Sir

The Society-Islanders had their day-born gods, but they were not supposed to be "of equal antiquity with the atua fauau po, or night-born gods."

From A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers by Thoreau, Henry David

When the clouds are beautifully chequered," writes Kendal, "the atua above, it is supposed, is planting sweet potatoes.

From John Rutherford, the White Chief by Craik, George Lillie

Everywhere we find the same kind of higher being or god and the resemblance extends even to the name, usually some form of the word atua.

From Man, Past and Present by Haddon, Alfred Court

But though "god" is the nearest English equivalent of the word atua, we must beware of assuming that the Maori idea of godhead coincided with ours.

From The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead Vol. II by Frazer, James George, Sir