Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries

Variant spelling of kauila.

v. To appoint as a day of consecrating a heiau; o kekahi akua o Kauikauila; e hoomakaukau no ka la e kauwila ai ka helan. Luieik. 164.

s. Another orthography for kauila. See KAUILA. A species of hard reddish wood found on Kauai, used for war spears, kapa mallets, &c.

adj. A day or time under a kapu; a kokoke i ka la kauwila. Laieik. 164.

A day or time under a tabu: a kokoke i ka la kauwila.—Laieik. p. 164. Pertaining to the tabu known as kauwila; kapu kauwila.

1. A tree (Alphitonia excelsa), often attaining 50 to 80 feet in height. It is nowhere common except in Waimea, Kauai.

2. Wood of the kauwila tree, remarkably close grained, hard, and heavy, on which account the natives used it for making spears, mallets for beating tapa and other tools. It turns black with age. Also known as kauila, and on Maui as o'a.

1. To perform a special ceremony in consecrating a temple, heiau, when a special sacrifice was placed upon the altar, lele.

2. To assemble and prepare material for consecrating the heiau: E hoomakaukau no ka la e kauwila ai ka heiau. Laieik. p. 164. See kauila, to offer sacrifice.

a tall tree (Alphitonia ponderosa). Land section, Wailuku, Maui.

Kapu ceremony of consecrating a temple.

Two native trees bear this Hawaiian name. Both are rare, both sink in water. Colubrina oppositifolia is found only on Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu. Its wood was formerly valued for making spears and kapa beaters and is even harder than that of the Alphitonia ponderosa, which grows on the largest islands. (NEAL 541.) Also a tree on Kauaʻi, the puʻukapele. (A.)

To offer sacrifice at the end of a kapu; decorating ceremonially the images of the gods with feathers. Also called kauila huluhulu.

To set a day for consecrating the heiau.