language nest (English)

Where does "language nest" come from?

The term 'language nest' is a direct calque, or linguistic translation, of the Māori phrase 'kōhanga reo.' In Māori, this evocative term uses the metaphor of a bird's nest to describe the immersive, nurturing environments created for children to learn and revitalize their ancestral language.

Full etymology tree

• language nest (English), 'A language revitalisation programme in which children and non-native speakers acquire the endangered language through immersion in special-purpose locations called 'nests'.'
  • calque kōhanga reo (Māori)
    • compound kōhanga (Maori), 'nest, nursery'
    • compound reo (Maori), 'voice'

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris