kahuna
UK[kəˈhuːnə]US[kəˈhuːnə]
n
(in Hawaii) a wise man or shaman.
n
(informal) an important or influential person.
Etymology
The word 'kahuna' entered English as a direct borrowing from the Hawaiian language in the 19th century. In its original Polynesian context, it referred to an expert in any field, such as a priest, healer, sorcerer, or master craftsman. The term gained wider recognition in English through the writings of travelers and anthropologists, and later through surf culture, where 'big kahuna' humorously denoted the most important wave or person. Its journey from a specific Hawaiian cultural term to a general English slang for an important person exemplifies semantic broadening through cultural contact.
Analysis
This word is a direct loanword from the Hawaiian language. It is not composed of separable morphemes within the context of English or its Indo-European etymological framework.
Examples
The village kahuna performed the traditional ceremony.
In the world of tech startups, he's considered a real kahuna.
The phrase "big kahuna" is often used to refer to the person in charge.