Word journey
The word mana
sacred power and prestige
The journey
| Form | Language | Date | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| *mana | Proto-Oceanic (reconstructed) · Polynesian Religion | undated | powerful natural forces (thunder, storm winds); reconstructed |
| *mana | Proto-Polynesian (reconstructed) · Polynesian Religion | undated | supernatural power; reconstructed |
| mana | Māori · Māori Religion | 1840 CE | authority, prestige, spiritual power |
| mana | English · Polynesian Religion | 1840 CE | Polynesian spiritual power |
| mana | English (fiction and games) | 1969 CE | magical energy (Niven, "Not Long Before the End") |
What is certain and what is not
Proto-Oceanic *mana probably meant "powerful forces of nature such as thunder and storm winds"; the sense of unseen supernatural power came later. The game sense of "magic points" comes from Larry Niven (1969).