ʻīlio hae
The Hawaiian word for wolf is ʻīlio hae.
The term ʻīlio hae is used to refer to the animal known as a wolf.
Meaning: animal (noun)
When do people say it?
Because wolves are not native to the Hawaiian Islands, this term is used to describe the animal by relating it to a dog.
Did you know?
- The word hae in ʻīlio hae can also mean 'flag' in Hawaiian. This is because early Hawaiians created flags from torn pieces of 'kapa' cloth.
- The term ʻīlio hae uses the same logic as many other Hawaiian names for non-native animals, which often categorize the new species by a familiar local relative.
Examples in context
- Ua ʻike ʻia ka ʻīlio hae.The wolf was seen.
Example conversation
Malia and Koa are looking at a picture book of animals.
- MaliaHe aha kēia mea?What is this thing?
- KoaHe ʻīlio hae kēlā.That is a wolf.
- MaliaHe mea ʻēhihi ia!That is strange!
- KoaʻAe, he ʻīlio hae nui ia.Yes, it is a big wolf.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wolf” translations and entries ʻīlio hae, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hae, ʻīlio, ʻīlio hae, CC BY-SA 4.0.
