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wahine

[ wah-hee-nee, -ney ]

noun

, plural wa·hi·ne.
  1. (in Hawaii and Polynesia) a girl or young woman.
  2. Slang. a young woman surfer.


wahine

/ wɑːˈhiːnɪ /

noun

  1. (esp in the Pacific islands) a Polynesian or Māori woman, esp a girlfriend or wife
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of wahine1

Borrowed into English from Polynesian around 1835–45
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wahine1

C19: from Māori and Hawaiian
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Example Sentences

The more usual word would be “kupuna”, for respected elder, and in the case of a grandmother, “kupuna wahine.”

Kiha-wahine went to Poliahu, but could not fill the water-jar.

This was the Alii-wahine-o-ka-malu (the queen of shadows), dwelling in the moon.

Hiiaka was accompanied by Wahine-oma'o--the woman in green--a woman as beautiful as herself.

He inquired for the wahine haole (foreign woman), and presented his bit of wood, saying that he would sell it for a dollar.

Ounauna saw her passing back and forth, and said, "What are you seeking, O Kiha-wahine?"

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