mana

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mana"

Languages (52)

English

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Page categories

English

WOTD – 6 February 2017

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑː.nə/, /ˈmæ-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.nə/, /ˈmæ-/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈmana/

• Audio (New Zealand):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːnə
• Hyphenation: ma‧na

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Maori 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

mana (usually uncountable, plural manas)

1. Power, prestige; specifically, a form of supernatural energy in Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people. [from 19th c.]
   • 1862 January 25, Thomas H. Smith, chapter 4, in Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, Wellington: House of Representatives, →OCLC, pages 10 and 12:

     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 […]

   • 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., page 61:

     The human tribe partakes of the mana or life-force of the animal, and is strengthened […]

   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, OCLC 71368859; republished London: Folio Society, 2012, OCLC 805007047, page 193:

     But in popular estimation their essential virtue derived from the personal mana of the sovereign.

   • 1999, Pat Hohepa, “My Musket, My Missionary and My Mana”, in Alex Calder, Jonathan Lamb, Bridget Orr, editors, Voyages and Beaches, Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, →ISBN, page 197:

     It can be seen, therefore, that mana is a nonvisible changing measure; it can remain static, increase, or decrease, depending on the actions or inaction of the recipient, and it can be enhanced or diminished.

   • 2001 September, Aldo Matteucci, “Language and Diplomacy – A Practitioner's View”, in Jovan Kurbalija, Hannah Slavik, editors, Language and Diplomacy, Malta: DiploProjects, Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, University of Malta, →ISBN, page 61:

     Among the Maori sovereignty was the result of mana—power based on hereditary rank and personal achievement. Manas could coexist and overlap, as they did in the medieval times in Europe.

   • 2012, Harold Hill, “Te Ope Whakaora, the Army that Brings Life”, in Hugh [Douglas] Morrison, Lachy Paterson, Brett Knowles, Murray Rae, editors, Mana Māori and Christianity, Wellington: Huia Publishers, →ISBN:

     On a number of occasions in recent years apologies have been offered to Māori because of past offences to their mana and invasions of their rights as tangata whenua.

2. (fantasy roleplaying games) Magical energy.
   • 1969 April, Larry Niven, “Not Long Before the End”, in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction:

     Mana is the name we give to the power behind magic.

   • 1977, David Hargrave, “Magik, What It Is and What It Does” (chapter VII), in The Arduin Grimoire:

     However, all such magik requires the mages [sic] own "MANA" or "internal power" to make it work. Without the mana, a spoken spell is just so much gibberish.

   • 1993, Richard Garfield, “Overview of Play”, in Magic: The Gathering: A Fantasy Trading Card Game [rulebook]‎, Limited Edition Alpha edition, Wizards of the Coast, archived from the original on 8 March 2013, page 9:

     Lands generate mana, which is required to cast spells.

   • 2003 May 20, "Bear", “Makes Lovely Julienne Ogres …”, in rec.games.roguelike.angband‎ (Usenet), message-ID <[e-mail]>:

     […] Teleporting from an open room where there were a dozen black orcs firing bows […] landed me, low on mana and hitpoints, in a room full of gnome mages who instantly summoned four umber hulks and a xorn!

   • 2010, Ernest Adams, “Artifical Life and Puzzle Games”, in Fundamentals of Game Design, 2nd edition, Berkeley, Calif.: New Riders, →ISBN, page 580:

     Mana often grows in exponential proportion to population size, so as the population increases the player acquires vastly greater powers—a progression that god games share with spellcaster characters in role-playing games.

   • 2023 December 1, Evelynn Kersting, “Games and Time”, in University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee‎, page 226‎, archived from the original on 6 June 2025:

     The player starts with no mana crystals, and gets one on their first turn, meaning an 8-mana card cannot be played until turn 8.

Derived terms

• mana flood
• mana glut
• manaism
• mana point
• mana screw
• mana shuffle
• mana weave

Translations

Translations

Chinese: Mandarin: 吗那, 魔力 (zh) (mólì), 超自然力量 Japanese: 魔力 (ja) (maryoku), マナ (mana) Polish: mana (pl) f Spanish: maná (es) m Swedish: mana (sv) c

Etymology 2

Noun

mana (plural manas)

1. Alternative form of mina (“ancient unit of weight or currency”).

Etymology 3

Noun

mana (uncountable)

1. Alternative spelling of manna.

Further reading

• mana on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Nama, naam

Albanian

Noun

mana

1. indefinite nominative/accusative plural of man

Bassa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mɾ̃ã̄]

Noun

mana

1. a blessing

Verb

mana

1. to swallow

References

• Bassa-English Dictionary
• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Bikol Central

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ma‧na
• IPA^(key): /ˈmana/ [ˈma.n̪a]

Verb

mana

1. to inherit

   Synonyms: eredar, lubos

Derived terms

• magmana
• manahon
• pamana

Blagar

Noun

mana

1. place

References

• Antoinette Schapper, The Papuan Languages of Timor, Alor and Pantar: Volume 1 (2014), p. 162
• Hein Steinhauer, "Going" and "Coming" in the Blagar of Dolap (Pura–Alor–Indonesia)

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈma.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈma.na]

Interjection

mana

1. sorry, pardon (I did not hear you)

   Synonym: perdó?

Verb

mana

1. inflection of manar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Cebuano

Alternative forms

• humana

Etymology

From human +‎ na, literally “it is finished”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈna/ [mɐˈn̪a]
• Hyphenation: ma‧na

Adjective

maná (Badlit spelling ᜋᜈ)

1. (colloquial) specifies that the action is finished or completed

   Mana mi'g kaon. ― We are done eating.

   Mana ko'g luto og utan. ― I am done cooking vegetables.

See also

• nag-
• ni-

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin manna.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmana]
• Hyphenation: ma‧na
• Rhymes: -ana

Noun

mana f

1. (biblical) manna

Declension

Declension of mana (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	mana	many
genitive	many	man
dative	maně	manám
accusative	manu	many
vocative	mano	many
locative	maně	manách
instrumental	manou	manami

Further reading

• “mana”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “mana”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Denya

Noun

mànǎ

1. water

Further reading

• Tanyi Eyong Mbuagbaw, The Denya Noun Class System, in the Journal of West African Languages

Fijian

Noun

mana

1. sign, omen
2. miracle, wonder (use cakamana to specify this meaning)
3. antidote (use mana kina to specify this meaning)
4. (biblical) manna

Adverb

mana

1. so be it, let it be so (addressed to a heathen deity)

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑnɑ/, [ˈmɑ̝nɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑnɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ma‧na
• Hyphenation^(key): ma‧na

Etymology 1

Probably from Proto-Finnic *mana (compare Southern Sami muonese (“(good or bad) spirit, omen”)). Alternatively possibly a back-formation of manala, which could then originate from maan alla (“under the ground”).

Noun

mana

1. death, Death (personification of death)

Declension

Inflection of mana (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		mana	manat
genitive		manan	manojen
partitive		manaa	manoja
illative		manaan	manoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mana	manat
accusative	nom.	mana	manat
	gen.	manan
genitive		manan	manojen manain rare
partitive		manaa	manoja
inessive		manassa	manoissa
elative		manasta	manoista
illative		manaan	manoihin
adessive		manalla	manoilla
ablative		manalta	manoilta
allative		manalle	manoille
essive		manana	manoina
translative		manaksi	manoiksi
abessive		manatta	manoitta
instructive		—	manoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of mana (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative manani manani accusative nom. manani manani gen. manani genitive manani manojeni manaini rare partitive manaani manojani inessive manassani manoissani elative manastani manoistani illative manaani manoihini adessive manallani manoillani ablative manaltani manoiltani allative manalleni manoilleni essive mananani manoinani translative manakseni manoikseni abessive manattani manoittani instructive — — comitative — manoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative manasi manasi accusative nom. manasi manasi gen. manasi genitive manasi manojesi manaisi rare partitive manaasi manojasi inessive manassasi manoissasi elative manastasi manoistasi illative manaasi manoihisi adessive manallasi manoillasi ablative manaltasi manoiltasi allative manallesi manoillesi essive mananasi manoinasi translative manaksesi manoiksesi abessive manattasi manoittasi instructive — — comitative — manoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative manamme manamme accusative nom. manamme manamme gen. manamme genitive manamme manojemme manaimme rare partitive manaamme manojamme inessive manassamme manoissamme elative manastamme manoistamme illative manaamme manoihimme adessive manallamme manoillamme ablative manaltamme manoiltamme allative manallemme manoillemme essive mananamme manoinamme translative manaksemme manoiksemme abessive manattamme manoittamme instructive — — comitative — manoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mananne mananne accusative nom. mananne mananne gen. mananne genitive mananne manojenne manainne rare partitive manaanne manojanne inessive manassanne manoissanne elative manastanne manoistanne illative manaanne manoihinne adessive manallanne manoillanne ablative manaltanne manoiltanne allative manallenne manoillenne essive manananne manoinanne translative manaksenne manoiksenne abessive manattanne manoittanne instructive — — comitative — manoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative manansa manansa accusative nom. manansa manansa gen. manansa genitive manansa manojensa manainsa rare partitive manaansa manojaan manojansa inessive manassaan manassansa manoissaan manoissansa elative manastaan manastansa manoistaan manoistansa illative manaansa manoihinsa adessive manallaan manallansa manoillaan manoillansa ablative manaltaan manaltansa manoiltaan manoiltansa allative manalleen manallensa manoilleen manoillensa essive mananaan mananansa manoinaan manoinansa translative manakseen manaksensa manoikseen manoiksensa abessive manattaan manattansa manoittaan manoittansa instructive — — comitative — manoineen manoinensa

Synonyms

• (death): kuolema, kuolo, tuoni

Derived terms

• nouns: manala (if not back-formation)
• verbs: mennä manalle, mennä manan majoille

Further reading

• “1. mana”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 1 July 2023

Etymology 2

From Maori mana.

Noun

mana

1. mana

Declension

Inflection of mana (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		mana	manat
genitive		manan	manojen
partitive		manaa	manoja
illative		manaan	manoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mana	manat
accusative	nom.	mana	manat
	gen.	manan
genitive		manan	manojen manain rare
partitive		manaa	manoja
inessive		manassa	manoissa
elative		manasta	manoista
illative		manaan	manoihin
adessive		manalla	manoilla
ablative		manalta	manoilta
allative		manalle	manoille
essive		manana	manoina
translative		manaksi	manoiksi
abessive		manatta	manoitta
instructive		—	manoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of mana (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative manani manani accusative nom. manani manani gen. manani genitive manani manojeni manaini rare partitive manaani manojani inessive manassani manoissani elative manastani manoistani illative manaani manoihini adessive manallani manoillani ablative manaltani manoiltani allative manalleni manoilleni essive mananani manoinani translative manakseni manoikseni abessive manattani manoittani instructive — — comitative — manoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative manasi manasi accusative nom. manasi manasi gen. manasi genitive manasi manojesi manaisi rare partitive manaasi manojasi inessive manassasi manoissasi elative manastasi manoistasi illative manaasi manoihisi adessive manallasi manoillasi ablative manaltasi manoiltasi allative manallesi manoillesi essive mananasi manoinasi translative manaksesi manoiksesi abessive manattasi manoittasi instructive — — comitative — manoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative manamme manamme accusative nom. manamme manamme gen. manamme genitive manamme manojemme manaimme rare partitive manaamme manojamme inessive manassamme manoissamme elative manastamme manoistamme illative manaamme manoihimme adessive manallamme manoillamme ablative manaltamme manoiltamme allative manallemme manoillemme essive mananamme manoinamme translative manaksemme manoiksemme abessive manattamme manoittamme instructive — — comitative — manoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mananne mananne accusative nom. mananne mananne gen. mananne genitive mananne manojenne manainne rare partitive manaanne manojanne inessive manassanne manoissanne elative manastanne manoistanne illative manaanne manoihinne adessive manallanne manoillanne ablative manaltanne manoiltanne allative manallenne manoillenne essive manananne manoinanne translative manaksenne manoiksenne abessive manattanne manoittanne instructive — — comitative — manoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative manansa manansa accusative nom. manansa manansa gen. manansa genitive manansa manojensa manainsa rare partitive manaansa manojaan manojansa inessive manassaan manassansa manoissaan manoissansa elative manastaan manastansa manoistaan manoistansa illative manaansa manoihinsa adessive manallaan manallansa manoillaan manoillansa ablative manaltaan manaltansa manoiltaan manoiltansa allative manalleen manallensa manoilleen manoillensa essive mananaan mananansa manoinaan manoinansa translative manakseen manaksensa manoikseen manoiksensa abessive manattaan manattansa manoittaan manoittansa instructive — — comitative — manoineen manoinensa

Further reading

• “2. mana”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 1 July 2023

Anagrams

• Maan, maan

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

mana m (plural manas)

1. (religion) mana

Further reading

• “mana”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Garo

Verb

mana

1. to rebuke

Hadza

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mana/

Noun

mana m

1. a piece of meat

See also manako (meat), manabee (body), manae (to go to where there is meat)

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.na/, [ˈmɐ.nə]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *mana, from Proto-Oceanic *mana.

Noun

mana

1. mana (religious or spiritual power)
2. power, authority

Verb

mana(stative)

1. having mana; divinely powerful, spiritual

Derived terms

• hoʻomana (causative)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *maŋa (“branch, fork”). Cognate with Maori manga (“tree branch”).

Noun

mana

1. (of a tree) crotch, branch
2. crosspiece
3. branch (of a road, river, etc.)
4. variant, version

Verb

mana

1. (stative) branching, forking

Related terms

• manamana (“finger”)

Further reading

• mana in Combined Hawaiian Dictionary, at trussel2.com.

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmaːna/
• Rhymes: -aːna

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *manōną. Possibly borrowed through Middle Low German or German mahnen (“to urge”).

Verb

mana (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative manaði, supine manað)

1. to dare (someone to do something)

Conjugation

mana – active voice (germynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að mana
supine sagnbót		manað
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		manandi
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	mana	manaði		mani	manaði
	þú	manar	manaðir		manir	manaðir
	hann, hún, það	manar	manaði		mani	manaði
plural	við	mönum	mönuðum		mönum	mönuðum
	þið	manið	mönuðuð		manið	mönuðuð
	þeir, þær, þau	mana	mönuðu		mani	mönuðu
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	mana (þú), manaðu
plural	þið	manið (þið), maniði1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

manast – mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að manast
supine sagnbót		manast
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		manandist (rare; see appendix)
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	manast	manaðist		manist	manaðist
	þú	manast	manaðist		manist	manaðist
	hann, hún, það	manast	manaðist		manist	manaðist
plural	við	mönumst	mönuðumst		mönumst	mönuðumst
	þið	manist	mönuðust		manist	mönuðust
	þeir, þær, þau	manast	mönuðust		manist	mönuðust
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	manast (þú), manastu
plural	þið	manist (þið), manisti1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

manaður — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	manaður	mönuð	manað	manaðir	manaðar	mönuð
accusative (þolfall)	manaðan	manaða	manað	manaða	manaðar	mönuð
dative (þágufall)	mönuðum	manaðri	mönuðu	mönuðum	mönuðum	mönuðum
genitive (eignarfall)	manaðs	manaðrar	manaðs	manaðra	manaðra	manaðra
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	manaði	manaða	manaða	mönuðu	mönuðu	mönuðu
accusative (þolfall)	manaða	mönuðu	manaða	mönuðu	mönuðu	mönuðu
dative (þágufall)	manaða	mönuðu	manaða	mönuðu	mönuðu	mönuðu
genitive (eignarfall)	manaða	mönuðu	manaða	mönuðu	mönuðu	mönuðu

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English mana, from Proto-Polynesian *mana, from Proto-Oceanic *mana.

Noun

mana n (genitive singular mana, no plural)

1. (gaming, role playing) mana

Declension

Declension of mana (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	mana	manað
accusative	mana	manað
dative	mana	mananu
genitive	mana	manans

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈmana/ [ˈma.na]
• Rhymes: -ana
• Syllabification: ma‧na

Etymology 1

Inherited from Malay mana.

Pronoun

mana

1. where, which

Adverb

mana

1. where, which
2. (colloquial, in some contexts only) not, doesn't (negates meaning of verb)

Derived terms

Affixations

• bagaimana (“how”)
• mana-mana (“any; anywhere; wherever”)

Compounds

• dari mana (“where (from)”)
• di mana (“where (at)”)
• ke mana (“where (to)”)
• yang mana (“which one; which (relative)”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English mana, from Maori mana, ultimately from Proto-Polynesian *mana, from Proto-Oceanic *mana (“natural power; thunder, storm wind”).

Noun

mana (plural mana-mana)

1. mana: A form of supernatural energy in Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people

Etymology 3

From Late Latin manna, from Ancient Greek μάννα (mánna), from Hebrew מן (mān, “'manna”).

Noun

mana (plural mana-mana)

1. (biblical) manna: Food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus

Further reading

• “mana”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016