Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries

possessive, Your, yours (singular, a-form).

• Examples:
  • Hoi nō kāu me ʻoe, [What] you [said] should go back to you [your curse will strike you; your bad words apply to you, take them back].
  • ʻO kāu mai ā ʻo kaʻu aku, your [turn] and then mine.
• References:
  • See Gram. 8.4, 9.6.
  • PNP taʻau , PCP taau .

possessive, My, mine (a-form).

• References:
  • See Gram. 8.4, 9.6.
  • PNP taʻaku .

Hesitation, fear.

• References:
  • See kaʻukaʻu, kaʻunē, makaʻu.
  • PPN -taku .

n., Name of a district on Hawaiʻi.

• References:
  • See epithets, kua #1, Kuehu Lepo, mākaha #1, wehi #3, and chant, kiʻekiʻe.
  • PNP Takuu .

1. vt. To place, put, hang, suspend, affix, gird on; to set, settle, perch, alight, rest, pose; to enact, impose, or pass, as a law; to levy, as a tax; to ride on or mount, as on a horse or in a car; to board, mount, get in or on; to rise up, appear, as the moon; to place in sacrifice, as a pig; to come to rest, as the setting sun; to arrive, come to pass; to hang up, as a telephone receiver.

• Examples:
  • Kau ka maka, to set the eyes upon, as with desire or affection; to feast the eyes upon, to yearn to see Ka-lei-kau-maka (name), beloved child to be looked upon with pride and love.
  • Kau ka manaʻo, to have an idea or thought, set the mind on.
  • Ka mea hoʻi a kuʻu manaʻo i kau nui ai a hālāwai maka (Laie 413), the one on whom my heart is set so keenly to meet face to face.
  • Pula kau maka ʻino loa, a very bad mote in the eye [of a disliked person].
  • Kau ʻino, to slam or bang down [a telephone receiver].
  • Nā kānāwai e kau nei, existing statutes.
  • Kānāwai i kau ʻia, laws passed.
  • Kau i ka uku pohō, to assess damages.
  • E kau ʻia maluna ona ka hoʻopaʻi, ʻaʻole e ʻoi aku mamua o hoʻokahi kaukani kālā, liable to [literally, set upon him] punishment not in excess of one thousand dollars.
  • Mai ka lā hiki a ka lā kau, from the rising sun to its setting.
  • Kau ka makani, the wind blows.
  • ʻOi kau ka lā, while the sun is up, i.e., while there is still time.
  • Ua kau ka waiū o Pōʻipe, Phoebe's breasts contain milk.
  • Kau ka pilikia maluna o lākou, they are in trouble.
  • Kau mai i luna, to appear above.
  • Ua kau ka mālie, the calm has settled.
  • Kau ka weli (FS 93), full of fear.
• Related:
  • hoʻokau Caus/sim.; To put on, place on, lay on, as responsibility; to happen, come to pass.
    • Hoʻokau hiamoe, to fall asleep.
• References:
  • PPN tau .

2. n. Period of time, lifetime; any season, especially summer; session of a legislature; term, semester; time of late night before dawn (Kep. 97).

• Examples:
  • I ke kau i ke aliʻi o Ka-mehameha, in the time of the chief, Kamehameha.
  • Moe kau ā hoʻoilo, sleep summers and winters [a poetic expression of death].
  • Kau ā kau, season after season; figuratively, always and forever.
• Related:
  • Kau ʻahaʻōlelo, legislative session.
• References:
  • PPN taʻu .

3. nvt. A sacred chant, as Hiʻiaka's chants of affectionate greeting to persons, hills, and landmarks; a chant of sacrifice to a deity; to chant thus.

• Examples:
  • Kau akula ia i kēia kau ma ke oli (FS 275), he offered this sacred chant in the chanted song.
• References:
  • See kaukau #1.
  • PPN tau .

4. n. Wooden handle, as on stone chisels; perch; pole raised longitudinally over a canoe in stormy weather, on which mats were placed for protection.

5. nvi. A method of feeding children or high-born persons as a special honor; the recipient held back his head and opened his mouth; the morsel of poi was dropped into his mouth; much enjoyed by children as a game.

• Examples:
  • ʻAi kau, to eat in this way.

6. n. Center tapa under which the stone was hidden in the game of pūhenehene.

7. n. Middle finger of the hand.

8. n. Reason, cause.

• Examples:
  • ʻAʻohe kau e make ai, no reason or cause to die.
  • Ua haʻalulu au i kau mea o ka makaʻu i ka ʻino, I trembled because of fear of the storm.

9. Variant of kākau #1.

• Rare
• Examples:
  • Lālā kau (KL. line 133), streaked fin.

10. (Cap.) n., Name of a star in the northern sky that served as guide to mariners.

11. (Cap.) n., The Milky Way.

12. n. Depression between collarbone and neck.

• Rare

13. Particle indicating plural, much less used than nā and mau except in the compounds kauhale, kaukolu, kauwahi.

• Examples:
  • Ua ʻike anei ʻoe i kau puaʻa a mākou? Have you seen our pigs?
• References:
  • See ex., pā ipu #1, Gram. 10.4.
  • PCP tau .

14. Particle expressing superlative, preceded by hoʻi or mai hoʻi.

• Examples:
  • (Gram. 7.5.) He nani mai hoʻi kau! Oh, so beautiful!
  • He ʻono hoʻi kau! How very delicious!
  • E lohe mai auaneʻi kau i ka leo o ka makua, won't listen at all to the parent's request.
  • Kau is sometimes replaced by tau. He uʻi hoʻi tau! How beautiful!

15. vt. To discuss.

• References:
  • See kaukau #1; kauoha.