Skip to content
Reading time: < 1 minute

Kālai

—To carve, cut, hew, engrave, hoe; to divide, as land; to shape a canoe or (fig.) an enterprise or intellectual policy; to plan, formulate, budget.

More ʻōlelo
Naʻauao
Ao
Moʻokūʻauhau
Hoʻomanaʻo
Awe
Kaukoe
Maiau
Hoʻokō

“Carving offers insight into the meticulous thought processes of our ancestors. It is in preparation, the division and order of work, thought, space, and material, that places before us the opportunity to shape a desired outcome. Through that shaping, we too are shaped physically, mentally and spiritually.”

Miki Cook, Lecturer, (Hawaiian Language; Hawaiian Studies), Windward Community College

For more information on other elements of the definition and usage, go to the UH Hilo Wehewehe Wikiwiki.

Olelo of the week

Back To Top