orenda

[ aw-ren-duh, oh-ren- ]

noun

1. a supernatural force believed by the Iroquois Indians to be present, in varying degrees, in all objects or persons, and to be the spiritual force by which human accomplishment is attained or accounted for.

Word History and Origins

Origin of orenda¹

1902; coined by U.S. ethnologist J.N.B. Hewitt from the supposed Huron cognate of Mohawk orę́˙naʔ inherent power (akin to karę́˙naʔ song; compare Seneca oęnǫʔ power, song with power, kaęnǫʔ song)

Example Sentences

Westport Winery nonvintage Rapture of the Deep sparkling cranberry wine, Washington, $31: Mark Bosso’s winemaking helped launch Orenda Winery in Carnation, and he’s proven a quick study with the berry grown for the nearby Ocean Spray plant.

From Seattle Times

At her death, she was clinical director of the Orenda Center of Wellness in Frederick.

From Washington Post

Visiting every tasting room on one trip is a lot, especially when you include the lower Valley’s Fivash Cellars in Fall City, Orenda Winery in Carnation and Cherry Valley Winery in Duvall.

From Seattle Times

Specializing in a valve trombone dubbed a “flugabone,” Dominique calls on a roster of talent from L.A. jazz label Orenda Records to help distill a time of recent personal upheaval into an exuberant, even joyful record that’s as unpredictable as it is approachable.

From Los Angeles Times

Rupture by Ragnar Jónasson is published by Orenda Books priced £8.99 and is available from the Guardian Bookshop for £7.64.

From The Guardian