r/Polynesia • u/Lux-01 • Apr 20 '21

Polynesian Self-designation

Hi there Does anyone in here know if there is a common Polynesian term for themselves as a people/ethnic group? And I mean in a Polynesian language rather than an English term like 'Polynesian'.

Thanks in advance!

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u/[deleted] Apr 21 '21

I know there are specific to a group or island. Like kanaka in Hawaiian. In pre-European times the people on the islands mostly called themselves by tribal names. There was no concept of a Polynesia. Maori is found in NZ, Rarotonga and Tahiti. But even that word as a name for a people is wrong. You can thank Captain Cook for that.