hili

See also: híli

English

Noun

hili

1. plural of hilus

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhi.li/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *firi (compare with Māori whiri (“to plait, to twist, to weave”), Tahitian firi (“to plait”) and ‘ōfiri (“to wrap around”), Tongan fili and Samoan fili), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *piliN (compare with Malay pilin).

Noun

hili

1. braid
2. plaiting

   Ka hili ʻana i ka lauoho.

   The plaiting of the hair.

3. string

Verb

hili

1. to braid
2. to plait
3. to turn aside, to wander
4. to deviate, to stray

Derived terms

• hili hewa (“tangled”)
• hilikau (“snagged”)
• hoʻohili (causative)
• nāhili (“blundering”)
• pūhili (“to veer”)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

hili

1. to strike, to hit
2. to whip
3. (ball games) to bat
4. (volleyball) to spike

Derived terms

• hoʻohili (“causative/simulative”)
• manawa hili (“at bat”)
• ʻūhili (“bat”)

Further reading

• hili in Combined Hawaiian Dictionary, at trussel2.com.

Latin

Noun

hīlī

1. genitive singular of hīlum

Nias

Etymology

Possibly related to Old Javanese gili (“island”).

Noun

hili

1. mountain

Swahili

Adjective

hili

1. ji class_(V) inflected form of hii

Tetum

Etymology

From *pili, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *piliq. Compare Malay pilih.

Verb

hili

1. to pick
2. to choose

Tokelauan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈhi.li]
• Hyphenation: hi‧li

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *sili. Cognates include Rapa Nui hiri and Samoan sili.

Noun

hili

1. goodness; greatness

Verb

hili

1. (stative) to be better

   E hili ni puhi i lō ni maile. ― Cats are better than dogs.

Etymology 2

Verb

hili (plural tahili)

1. (transitive) to insert between two surfaces

References

• R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎^[1], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs