Vanua


The word banua or vanua – meaning "land," "home," or "village" – occurs in several Austronesian languages. It derives from the Proto-Austronesian reconstructed form *banua. The word has particular significance in several countries.

In Western Malayo-Polynesian languages

Philippines

;Kapampangan
In the Kapampangan language, banwa or banua means "sky" or "year".
;Visayan
In the Hiligaynon Visayan language, banwa means "people", "nation" or "country."
;Tagalog
In the Tagalog/Filipino language, a similar word bansa also means "nation" or "country."

Malaysia and Indonesia

;Malay
In the Malay language, benua means landmass or continent. The word for land in these languages and nearby Austronesian languages — e.g., in Tana Toraja, Tana Tidung or Tanö Niha – are tanah or tana.
;Banjar
In the Banjar language, banua means "village" or "homeland".
;Buginese
In the Buginese language, banua means "village", "country", "land" or "homeland".
;Toraja
In the Toraja language, banua means "home".
;Minahasa
In all Minahasan languages, wanua means "village", "country", or "land". The word Kawanua means land of the Minahasan people.
;Dayak
In Iban, menua means "place", "country", "land" or "homeland". In many other Dayak languages, the word has the form binua.

In Oceania

In some Oceanic languages of Melanesia, the root *banua has sometimes become vanua.

In Palau

In Palau, beluu means "village" or "country", as can be seen in the Palauan name of the country, Beluu er a Belau.

In Vanuatu

In Vanuatu, vanua also means "land", "island" or "home." The name of the Vanua'aku Pati literally means "The party of My Land". Hence also the name of Vanuatu itself, and the place name Vanua Lava.
;Lo-Toga
In the Lo-Toga language, the word venie means "village", "island" or "country".
;Mwotlap
In Mwotlap, the word vōnō means "village", "district", "island" or "country".

In Fiji

In Fijian and in Fiji English, vanua is an essential concept of indigenous Fijian culture and society. It is generally translated in English as "land", but vanua as a concept encompasses a number of inter-related meanings. When speaking in English, Fijians may use the word vanua rather than an imprecise English equivalent. According to Fijian academic Asesela Ravuvu, a correct translation would be "land, people and custom". Vanua means "the land area one is identified with", but also
An indigenous Fijian person is thus defined through his or her land; the concepts of personhood and land ownership are viewed as inseparable. This is also the case for other indigenous peoples of Oceania, such as Australian Aboriginals and New Zealand Māori.
A vanua is also a confederation of several yavusa. A vanua in this sense is associated with its ownership of an area of vanua in the sense of "land"; the various meanings of vanua are, here too, interrelated.
The word vanua is found in the place names Vanua Levu and Vanua Balavu.
Indigenous land ownership is a key issue in conservative and indigenous nationalistic Fijian politics. Several right-wing, essentially indigenous parties refer to vanua in their names:
;Māori
In Māori language, whenua means homeland or country. The Māori people call themselves Tāngata whenua, or people of the land.
;Tongan
In Tongan, fonua means land or country.
;Hawaiian
In Hawaiian honua means land, earth, or foundation, and is usually used in the more literal sense. Land in the more figurative or spiritual sense is usually represented by the word ʻāina, and locally-born people are referred to as kamaʻāina.
;Other Polynesian languages
Elsewhere, the form of the word is generally fenua.