paʻi

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *paki₁ (“to clap, to slap, to hit, to beat”) (compare with Maori paki (“to hit, to publish”) and papaki (“to slap”), Tahitian paʻipaʻi and pāʻi plus Samoan paʻipaʻi), from Proto-Oceanic *baki from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pakpak₁ (“to clap, to flap”) (compare with Malay papak (“clapper”), Tagalog pakpák (“wing”) and palakpák (“applause”) plus Cebuano pakpák (“applause”)). Sense of printing extended from Hawaiians beating or stamping repeated patterns on kapa fabric. Doublet of pā (“to beat [an instrument], to touch”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpa.ʔi/, [ˈpɐ.ʔi]

Verb

paʻi

1. to hit
2. to slap, to spank
3. to clap
4. to print
   • 1893 August 17, “E Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono”, in Ka Lei Momi‎^[1], page 3:

     ʻUa paʻi ia iho nei ma ko makou halepai nei he 100 mau hoolaha no ka Abamele o Hanalei, Kauai, he 500 mau balota a me kekahi mau hana e ae.

     100 advertisements for the Abamele of Hanalei, Kauai, 500 ballots and some other activities were printed in our office.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of another Hawaiian-language newspaper to this entry?)

Derived terms

• hoʻopaʻi
• paʻipaʻi