mana
The origin and history of mana.
Etymology
Borrowed from Maori mana, from a much older Polynesian root with the same meaning. Its now-common gaming sense ("magic points") was popularized by science-fiction writer Larry Niven in 1969 and later spread through tabletop and video games.
Class of 1969
mana first entered the language around 1969. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1969 →