Havaiʻi
/ha.va.iˈʔi/noun
A traditional Polynesian name for an ancestral homeland or sacred origin place, also used for specific islands such as Raiatea in some traditions.
Did you know?Havaiʻi belongs to a family of Polynesian homeland names, including Hawaiki and Savaiʻi, but scholars debate whether they descend from one original ancestral place-name or developed independently.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian period
Proto-Polynesian
*Sawaiki
“A reconstructed ancestral homeland name; the exact original meaning remains uncertain.”
Early Polynesian tradition
Eastern Polynesian
Hawaiki
“A legendary homeland from which ancestors, gods, and founding voyagers were believed to come.”
Traditional Tahitian and Society Islands usage
Tahitian
Havaiʻi
“A sacred ancestral place-name, especially associated with Raiatea in Polynesian tradition.”
Traditional Hawaiian usage
Hawaiian
Hawaiʻi
“The name of the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago; its relationship to Havaiʻi is historically and linguistically debated.”
Modern English and Polynesian studies
English
Havaiʻi
“A scholarly and Polynesian-language form referring to an ancestral homeland or related traditional place-name.”