Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries

1. n., Lei, garland, wreath; necklace of flowers, leaves, shells, ivory, feathers, or paper, given as a symbol of affection; beads; any ornament worn around the head or about the neck; to wear a lei; special song presenting a lei; crown; ring around a drake's neck; yoke, as for joining draft animals, especially oxen. Figuratively, a beloved child, wife, husband, sweetheart, younger sibling or child, so called because a beloved child was carried on the shoulders, with its legs draped down on both sides of the bearer like a lei.

• Examples:
  • Kāna lei, his lei (to give away or sell).
  • Kona lei, his lei (to wear).
  • Leilani (name), royal child, heavenly lei.
  • ʻUhene ahahana kaʻu lei naʻu ia (song), oh joy, oh boy, she's my darling.
• Related:
  • hoʻolei Caus/sim.; To put a lei on oneself or on someone else; to crown.
• References:
  • Cf. lei palaoa.
  • PPN lei.

2. vi., To leap, fling, toss, spring forward; to rise, as a cloud.

• Related:
  • Usually used with hoʻo-.
  • hoʻolei Caus/sim.; To cast, throw, heave, toss, pitch; to stretch, send.
    • Hoʻolei ukana, to unload freight.
    • Ka hoʻolei wāwae ʻana, marking time.
    • Hoʻolei wale, to throw away wastefully, heedlessly, uselessly.
    • Hoʻolei wale nō i ke kālā i nā leʻaleʻa lapuwale, merely throwing away money on worthless pleasures.
    • Ua hoʻolei mai me kō lākou waha (Hal. 59.7), they belch out with their mouth.
    • Hoʻolei loa, to throw completely away, to throw far.
    • Hoʻolei loa akula nā wāwae a Nā-maka-o-Kahaʻi ā pololei (For. 4:69), Nāmaka-o-Kahaʻi stretched her legs out straight.
    • Hoʻolei pōpō, name of an old ball game.
    • Pupuʻu hoʻolei loa, to arrive with astonishing speed; to leave and arrive in no time at all; literally, crouch fling far.
    • Hoʻōho hoʻolei, farflung shout.
    • Hoʻolei koke nō iāia mauka ma ka ʻāina, quickly send him ashore.
• References:
  • Nah. 10.11.
  • PNP lei.

vs., Crowded, full.

• Examples:
  • Lēʻī Kohala, eia i ka nuku nā kānaka (FS 185), Kohala is crowded to the very, mouth with people [a saying referring to the astonishment of Maui invaders of Kohala, Hawaiʻi, who, contrary to, the report of their intelligence, found Kohala crowded with people; said of crowds of people anywhere].
• Related:
  • Also: lēʻiwi.
• References:
  • See ʻī #2, ipu lēʻī, lēʻia, mōʻī, pua lēʻī.