waiū
/wai̯ˈuː/
waiū is the Hawaiian word for milk.
The term waiū refers to milk in a general sense, encompassing both animal milk and breast milk.
Meaning: liquid (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of wai, meaning water and ū, meaning to suckle or nurse.
How do you pronounce it?
/wai̯ˈuː/
Did you know?
- Ancient Hawaiians did not have domesticated milking animals, so waiū originally referred almost exclusively to human breast milk.
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concept of 'water' wai is deeply tied to wealth and abundance, making the wai in waiū a symbol of life-giving prosperity.
- In many Polynesian languages, including Māori, the word for milk is nearly identical, using the same construction of 'water' and 'suckle'.
Examples in context
- He ʻāina e kahe ana ka waiū a me ia meli.A land which flows with milk and honey.This sentence is useful for seeing waiū used in a descriptive context regarding a land of plenty.
- He waiū kēia.This is milk.
Example conversation
Leilani and Ikaika are preparing breakfast together.
- LeilaniHe waiū kou?Do you have milk?
- IkaikaʻAe, aia ma ka papa.Yes, it is on the table.
- LeilaniMahalo, e hūhū ia i ka kōkō.Thanks, I will pour it in the cereal.
- IkaikaʻOia mau nō.That's right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “milk” translations and entries waiū, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries waiū, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
