Wehewehe Wikiwiki

the twelfth letter of the Hawaiian alphabet. The real sound represented by it is one between the English w and v. In Tahitian the v sound is most universal; in Hawaiian the w sound predominates. In many cases the letter w is superfluous, the vowel a before a, e, i, o, producing the same sound as is made by the use of w; as, uwala, uala; uuao, uao; uwa, u#x00E4; uwe, u#x00EB; uweke, u#x00EB;ke; uui, u#x00EF;; uwila, uila; uwo, u#x00F6;; kawowo, kauouo, &c. In other places the w is an important letter, and sometimes, if the orthography of the language were fully settled, its use would serve to make a distinction in the meaning of words, as kaua, war, and kauwa, a servant, &c.