Iwi
/ˈi.vi/noun
A Hawaiian word meaning bone, bodily remains, or ancestral lineage.
Did you know?In Hawaiian culture, iwi—especially iwi kūpuna, or ancestral bones—are treated as sacred remains deserving protection, burial, and profound respect.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
PPN
*ivi
“Bone or bodily remains”
Proto-Eastern Polynesian
PEP
*iwi
“Bone; the physical substance of the body”
Early Hawaiian
Hawaiian
iwi
“Bone, bodily remains, or physical substance”
Traditional Hawaiian
Hawaiian
iwi kūpuna
“Bones or remains of ancestors”
Modern English usage
English
iwi
“A Hawaiian cultural term referring to bones, ancestral remains, or lineage”