Wehewehe: The Word That Explains Itself

Aloha,

I thought we could continue looking at Hawaiian words to learn about their versatility. Today I am talking about wehe. Here are some examples of how to use it:

wehe i ka puka (open the door)
wehe i ka puke (open the book)
wehe i ke kapa (open up the blanket)
wehe i ka pale ili (take off the shirt)
wehe i ka lei (take off the lei)
wehe i ka hipuu (undo the knot)
wehe i ka hihia (undo the tangle or fix the problem)

Wehe means to open. Use it to wehe doors, windows, lids, books, boxes, even your mouth when it is time to eat. Anything that closes, you can wehe.

Wehe also means to remove or take off, like clothes, shoes, accessories, bed covers, curtains, keys from a keychain, and so on.

Wehe also means to undo or untangle. Use it to wehe tangles in your hair or knots in a net. But when it is used with hihia, things get interesting. Hihia is not only a word we use when a net or someone's hair gets tangled up. It is also a word we use to describe an issue or problem between friends, lovers, or family. We constantly have to wehe the hihia when it presents itself. I don't think I am alone here.

Now, wehe sounds so nice that sometimes we say it twice, wehewehe. This one has even more meanings!

puke wehewehe olelo (dictionary)
wehewehe i ko'u manao (explain myself, elaborate on my thought)

We use wehewehe to explain, elaborate, or articulate meaning. That could be what your words and actions mean. Someone could wehewehe a Hawaiian song that is hard to understand. A parent could wehewehe to their child the meaning of their name. A teacher might wehewehe a complex concept to a bewildered student.

This whole newsletter is another good example. I have been typing away trying to wehewehe what wehe and wehewehe mean. If I have done it well enough, you should be able to wehewehe this to someone else. If you can't, I can wehewehe hou (explain it again).

What words do you hear a lot but want to know more about? Let me know and I will write another newsletter.

Na'u keia,
Maluhia