Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries

1. vs. Damp, wet, humid, moist, cool, refreshing. See ex., huʻahuʻa kai. Maʻū ka lepo o kēia wahi, the earth here is damp. Wā maʻu, cool time, as early morning. Hele kākou ʻoi maʻu, let's go while it's cool. Maʻū aʻela ka ihu, the nose is damp [as in a kiss]. hoʻo.maʻū To dampen, moisten, irrigate, soak, saturate, baste; to shade, cool. (PCP maakuu.)

2. Same as māʻau, to sprout. Cf. wao maʻukele.

3. nvs. A little, of some little value, of slight use but better than nothing. Cf. maʻū wale, pohō maʻū. Maʻū nō ia, it is better than nothing. He maʻū ia ike ʻana iā Hawaiʻi, this seeing of Hawaiʻi is better than nothing at all [at least it's something]. Maʻū nō ka ʻole, maʻū nō ka nele, nothing is better than that; that's worse than nothing.

n., The region on the sides of mountains next below the waoakua. Also called waokanaka, that is, where men may live.