Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries

1. nvs. Height, high place, summit, crest, elevation; the second platform in the lananuʻu mamao, oracle tower on a heiau; stratum; piled high. Fig., great. Ka ua nuʻu, torrential rain. ʻEkolu mau nuʻu pō (Kep. 49), three strata of night. Ua hiki aku i ka nuʻu ka mana o Roma, the power of Rome reached its culminating point. (PPN nuku.)

2. Same as hoʻonuʻu. hoʻo.nuʻu To eat heartily (see saying koʻu #1).

n., High sea.

• Examples:
  • Kai nuʻu aku, ebbing sea.
  • Kai nuʻu mai, incoming tide.

1. n., Stairs, jogs, steps, terrace, dais, ledge

• References:
  • 1 Nal. 6.6.

2. n., Tower in ancient heiau, about 7 m high and 5.5 m square, as enclosed with white ʻōloa tapa.

• References:
  • Cf. nuʻu #1.

3. nvi., Sprain, strain, disjointed vertebra; to stumble, trip, sprain; to land heavily or jar, as when one steps down but there is no step; jarred.

• Figuratively, error, slip; to err.
• References:
  • Cf. māui.

4. n., A step between two notes on a musical staff.

• Examples:
  • Pili ʻanuʻu, to go up an interval (in music).

5. Noun indicating comparison of adjectives.

• Examples:
  • ʻAnuʻu kumu, basic stage.
  • ʻAnuʻu waena, comparative degree.
  • ʻAnuʻu loa, superlative degree.

1. n., King, sovereign, monarch, majesty, ruler, queen.

• Source:
  • Perhaps related to ʻī, supreme. According to J. F. G. Stokes, the word moʻī, king, is of recent origin and was first in print in 1832. Temple image (Malo 162); lord of images (Malo 173); according to Kepelino and Kamakau, a rank of chiefs who could succeed to the government but who were of lower rank than chiefs descended from the god Kāne (For. 6:266). The term mōʻī was apparently not used in the Fornander legends collected in the 1860s nor in RC.
• References:
  • See ikū nuʻu.

2. Same as ʻawa mōʻī.

1. nvs., Short, thickset, plump but not tall (said more often of plants than of humans).

• Related:
  • A short, stocky koa tree suitable for a wide, short canoe was also called noʻu.

2. n., A native variety of banana, bearing small bunches of thick, round fruit, eaten raw or cooked, the skin yellow, the flesh cream-colored.

3. vi., To eat greedily with great mouthfuls, even when no longer hungry.

• References:
  • Cf. nuʻu.

4. n.-poss., For me, mine, in my honor (o-form, Gram. 9.11).

• Examples:
  • Noʻu kēlā, give that to me.
• References:
  • PCP noku , PCP nooku .

1. Pas/imp. of kū #1; to stand, halt, etc.

• Examples:
  • Kūlia i ke ākea, place before the public.
  • Ke kūlia nei ka lā i lalo, the sun is setting.

2. vt., To try, strive.

• Examples:
  • Kūlia i ka nuʻu (Queen Ka-piʻo-lani's motto), strive to reach the summit.
  • Kūlia i kō ikaika, exert your strength.
  • Kūlia e loaʻa kā naʻauao, strive to obtain wisdom.
• Related:
  • hoʻokūlia Caus/sim.

3. vs., Outstanding, fortunate, lucky.

• Examples:
  • Kūlia i ka uʻi, outstanding beauty.
  • Lā kūlia, lucky day.

1. nvs. Floating, buoyant; moored, afloat, adrift; to drift, lie at anchor, as a fishing canoe (For. 4:295); calm, still, as water; anchor.

• Examples:
  • Huki ka lana (Nak. 87), pull in the anchor.
  • Lana ke koko, buoyant blood [of youth]; to circulate, of blood; high blood pressure (Kam. 64:43).
  • Lana ka manaʻo, hopeful, without worry, thoughtful; to want.
  • Inā e maʻi kekahi kanaka, lana kona manaʻo i ke kauka, when a person is sick, he wants a doctor.
  • Lana mālie iho hoʻi ka manaʻo me ka nani lei ʻawapuhi (song), thoughts of the beauty of the ginger lei are serene.
• Related:
  • hoʻolana Caus/sim.; To cause to float, launch; to right a canoe. Figuratively, to launch a project; cheerful, unworrying, hopeful; to cheer up, encourage (Mat. 14.27), be of good cheer; to lighten grief, as by taking a mourner on a trip and away from the grave of the one he mourns.
    • Home hoʻolana maʻi, convalescent home.
    • Hoʻolana maʻi, to ease the pain of sickness.
    • Hoʻolana ka manaʻo, to have hopes.
    • Hoʻolana kaumaha, to ease grief, condolence.
    • Hoʻolana i ka wai ke ola, life barely surviving; semiconscious.
• References:
  • Cf. hālana, manaʻolana.
  • Probably PPN langa .

2. n. Lowest floor of the oracle tower where offerings were placed.

• References:
  • Malo 176.
  • Cf. lananuʻu, mamao, nuʻu.

3. vs. To be aware of noises as one wakes.

• Examples:
  • Lana ka hiamoe, awakening from sleep.

4. n. Frog.

• Source:
  • Latin rana, a genus.
• Related:
  • Also: rana.

kikino Vision, as in the vision statement of an organization. Comb. nuʻu + kia. See ala nuʻukia. ʻŌlelo nuʻukia. Vision statement.

1. n., Tahiti.

• Examples:
  • Holo i Kahiki, sail to Tahiti.
• Related:
  • The sky was divided (Malo 10) into five areas beginning with the term Kahiki: Kahiki-moe, horizon; literally, prostrate Kahiki. Kahiki-kū, sky just above the horizon; literally, upright Kahiki. Kahiki-ka-papa-nuʻu, the next layer; literally, Kahiki the elevated stratum. Kahikikapapa-lani, high in the sky, almost directly overhead; literally, Kahiki the sky (or god) stratum. Kahiki-kapu-i-Hōlani-ke-kuʻina, the sky directly overhead; literally, sacred Kahiki at Hōlani the meeting place.
• References:
  • Cf. holokahiki.
  • See Malo 10.
  • PEP Tafiti .

2. (Not cap.) nvs., Any foreign country, abroad, foreign.

• References:
  • PCP tafiti.

3. n., A variety of banana, common wild on Maui.

• Related:
  • Kinds are kahiki hae, kahiki mauki, and kahiki puhi.

vs., Vast, great, without measure, multitudinous.

• Examples:
  • Mānuʻunuʻu wale ka lokomaikaʻi, very great is the kindness.
• References:
  • Cf. nuʻu.

n. Raised place in the heiau where images and offerings were placed, and where the invisible gods were thought to dwell. Also nuʻu and lananuʻu.

1. n., Legendary upper stratum and abode of the gods (preceded by ke).

2. n., Chiefs of the highest rank, as nīʻaupiʻo; gods.

• Examples:
  • E ala, ē ʻāpapa nuʻu, e ala, ē ke ʻāpapa lani! (UL 196).
  • Awake, gods of high station, awake, gods of highest station!

n. Oracle tower; the lowest floor was the lana, the second and more sacred floor was the nuʻu, and the top, where the high priest stood to conduct services was the mamao. (Malo 176.)

Rare var. of nuʻu mamao.

kikino, An expanse of flat land. Plain.

• Literally, widespread plain.
• Related:
  • Also: ʻāina kula laulaha.
• References:
  • Cf. nuʻu laulaha.

Short for ʻOpikanalani or ʻOpikananuʻu.

• Examples:
  • Ē ka lewa nuʻu, ē ka lewa lani, ka ʻOpikana (FS 211), O high atmosphere, O heavenly atmosphere, the faraway place.

kikino, Lowrise, as a building. Sh. nuʻu + haʻahaʻa. Cf. nuʻuoʻa.

kikino, An expanse of flat land. Plain.

• Literally, widespread-plain land.
• Related:
  • Also: kula laulaha.
• References:
  • Cf. nuʻu laulaha.

kikino, The sport. Diving.

• Literally, to jump (dive) precisely.
• Examples:
  • Lele miomio nuʻu. Platform diving.
• Related:
  • Lele miomio papa panau, lele papa panau. Springboard diving.
• References:
  • See lele kawa, papa lele kawa (Dic.)

Hawaiian sleeper (Eleotris sandwicensis). Found largely in Hawaiian waters, chiefly around Kauaʻi. It rests motionless on the bottom for long periods. The young develop in the sea, but adults do not enter salt water unless in estuaries. Grows to 9 inches. See nuʻu kole, ʻoau (Oʻahu, Maui), ʻoʻopu, ʻoʻopuʻoau, ʻowau. Also called ʻōkuhe.

Oracle tower, one of the structures of the heiau. It was a tall frame of wood consisting of three “floors” The lowest, where offerings were placed, was called lana. The mid- dle platform, nuʻu, was more sacred than the lana level. The top platform, mamao, was the most sacred for it was the place from which the high priest conducted services. (MALO 176.)

Ebbing sea. Kai nuʻu mai, a flowing-in tide.

To strive, try. Kūlia i ka nuʻu, strive to reach the summit, Queen Kapiolaniʻs motto. Kūlia i ho ikaika, exert your strength; kūlia e loaʻa ka naʻauao, seek to obtain wisdom. (PE.)

Raised place in the heiau where gods, images, and offerings were set. It was believed invisible gods lived there. See nuʻu.

Oracle tower, framed with strong, sacred wood, no walls, but containing three levels: lana, the lowest floor, was reserved for offerings; idols were placed on the nuʻu, the second level, also the site of ceremonies conducted by the priest and his attendants; the mamao, at the top, was the most sacred of all the platforms, where only the king and high priest were permitted. (MALO 176.)

1. vi., To cluck.

• Figuratively, to talk too much.
• Examples:
  • E nuʻu a koʻu ka puʻu (saying), pile on until the throat clucks [eat all one can].
• Related:
  • Waha koʻu, gabbling mouth.

2. nvt., Conception; male potency; to conceive.

• Examples:
  • Ua pau ke koʻu, potency is over.
  • Ua koʻu ka moa kāne, the rooster has mounted [a hen].
  • Ua moe lāua a i laila koʻu, they slept together and life came.

3. poss., My, mine (o-form; Gram. 8.4, 9.6).

• References:
  • PNP toku.