What does wili mean?
“Wili” is a rare English noun borrowed from Hawaiian. In its established English sense, a wili is a Hawaiian song, particularly one associated with traditional Hawaiian music. The word is not a general synonym for any melody or performance and is not usually used in everyday British or American English; it appears mainly in discussions of Hawaiian and Polynesian cultural music. Its pronunciation begins with a stressed long “ee” sound and ends with a lighter “ee” sound: /ˈwiːli/. Speakers may confuse it with “wiki,” another Hawaiian-derived English word. Hawaiian wiki means “quick” and gave English the name for an online encyclopedia, whereas wili refers to a song. Because the borrowing is uncommon and culturally specific, wili is best understood as a particular Hawaiian musical term rather than an interchangeable label for a melody or performance.
nounA Hawaiian song, particularly one associated with traditional Hawaiian music.
- A Hawaiian song, especially one associated with traditional Hawaiian music.
"The festival program included a wili performed by a local ensemble."
"The dancers performed a wili before the evening concert."
"The program featured a wili sung in Hawaiian."
The regular English plural is uncommon because the noun has a limited cultural use.
"The program featured several traditional wilis."
Wili is a little piece of Hawaiian musical vocabulary hiding in plain sight in English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wili
English borrowed wili from Hawaiian. In Hawaiian, wili can mean “to turn, twist, or wind” and is also associated with the vocabulary of Hawaiian song. In its more specific English use, it denotes a Hawaiian song.
How wili is actually used
This is a rare English borrowing from Hawaiian and is mainly encountered in discussions of Hawaiian or Polynesian music. It is not a general synonym for song and is uncommon in everyday British and American English.
Easily confused with wili
A wili is a Hawaiian song, whereas Hawaiian wiki means “quick” and is the source of the name “wiki” for an online encyclopedia.