What does Te Fiti mean in English? ·

23 Apr 2024, 00:00

TE Fiti is a major character in the Disney movie Moana.

The character is also known as Mother Island in the film, whose occupation is to be the “goddess of life.”

What does Te Fiti mean in English?

Te Fiti does not have a direct translation to the English language.

The Hawaiian alphabet does not contain the letters T or F, so the name Te Fiti has no exact meaning.

However, some fans believe that the name is a translation of the Maori language from the Eastern Polynesian area, set to mean “far off place.”

Others suggest that it is of African origin, and means “giver of life,” according to the website Names Org.

Te Fiti is meant to be a compassionate entity in the movie, implicitly representing Mother Earth.

Te Fiti used her heart to spread the gift of life across the world, creating multiple islands that would be inhabited by flora, fauna, and humans.

Amid her creation, Te Fiti laid herself to rest and formed her body into an island.

When her heart was stolen by demigod Maui, Te Fiti fell into darkness and she morphed into a negative shell of her former self known as Te Kā.

Ultimately, Moana is tasked to return Te Fiti’s heart back to her.

Through the trials and tribulations, Moana returns Te Fiti’s heart back to her, shedding Te Kā for good.

Te Fiti then reemerges and returns to her old self.

Te Fiti is not a real place.

However, the creators of Moana did base Te Fiti on Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia.

Art directors Bill Schwab and Andy Harkness told Variety that the research for the film was crucial in perfecting the animation.

“It’s a beautiful place with beautiful people,” says Schwab.

“We said, ‘Let’s try to make it feel very believable and specific to that place.’”