mana
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
mana¹
- /ˈmɑː.nə/ UK
- /ˈmæ-/ UK
- /ˈmɑ.nə/ US
- /ˈmæ-/ US
- /ˈmana/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -ɑːnə
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Māori mana, ultimately from Proto-Polynesian *mana, from Proto-Oceanic *mana.
The use of "mana" for "magical energy" in role-playing games originated from Larry Niven, when he wrote the short story, "Not Long Before the End", in 1969. It was later popularised by his The Magic Goes Away setting.
noun manas
- Power, prestige; specifically, a form of supernatural energy in Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people. They further required that a certain number of the old Chiefs should be liberally pensioned by the Government, and placed upon a footing of equality with European gentlemen of independent means, in consideration of their resigning their "mana" as Chiefs in favor of the new system […]
- Magical energy. Mana is the name we give to the power behind magic.
mana²
- /ˈmɑː.nə/ UK
- /ˈmæ-/ UK
- /ˈmɑ.nə/ US
- /ˈmæ-/ US
- /ˈmana/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -ɑːnə
noun manas
- Alternative form of mina (“ancient unit of weight or currency”).mina
mana³
- /ˈmɑː.nə/ UK
- /ˈmæ-/ UK
- /ˈmɑ.nə/ US
- /ˈmæ-/ US
- /ˈmana/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -ɑːnə
noun
- Alternative spelling of manna.manna
