toki

Toki is a term with multiple, unrelated meanings across languages and cultures. It can refer to a traditional Māori tool, a Basque word meaning “place,” a Japanese word meaning “time,” a classic video game, a Turkish government acronym, and more.

In Māori culture, a toki is a carved adze used for shaping wood. It has a wooden handle and a blade made of stone or metal. Toki adzes range in size, from hand-held to long-handled forms, and are used in both practical carving and ceremonial contexts in Māori art.

In Basque, toki means “place” and appears in everyday language and toponyms. It is used to indicate location in phrases and proper nouns, illustrating how a common word structures geographic naming in Basque-speaking areas.

In Japanese, toki means “time” or “occasion.” It is used in many expressions and compounds and is a common feature of everyday speech and literature, spanning temporal and event-related senses.

Toki is also the title of a 1989 arcade platform game in which the player guides an orange-skinned ape named Toki on a quest to rescue his mate from an evil wizard. The game has been ported to multiple platforms and has inspired remakes and reimaginings.

In Turkish, TOKİ is the acronym for the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (Toplu Konut İdaresi Başkanlığı). It is a government agency responsible for housing projects and urban development.

As a personal name, toki can appear as a surname or given name in various cultures, though it remains relatively uncommon.