Whanau
Whānau
Māori language word for extended family
Whānau (Māori pronunciation: [ˈfaːnaʉ]) is the Māori language word for the basic extended family group. Within Māori society the whānau encompasses three or four generations and forms the political unit below the levels of hapū (subtribe), iwi (tribe or nation) and waka (migration canoe). These steps are emphasised in Māori genealogy as a person's whakapapa.