wahine

noun

wa·​hi·​ne wä-ˈhē-nē 

-(ˌ)nā

1

: a Polynesian woman

2

: a female surfer

Did you know?

The word wahine came into English in the late 18th century from Maori, the language of a Polynesian people native to New Zealand; it was originally used for a Maori woman, especially a wife. The word is also used for a woman in Hawaiian and Tahitian, though spelled "vahine" in the latter. Enormous waves, which are perfect for surfing, are an attraction of the Polynesian islands. As the surfing culture solidified in the mid-20th century, and as more and more girls and women grabbed their boards, "wahine" took on the new meaning of "female surfer."

Examples of wahine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Hawaiian culture, there is kāne (man) and wahine (woman), but there is also someone who has both feminine and masculine spirits – a fluid, non-binary identity called māhū. —Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 13 June 2023

Which American wahine is the first surfer in history to win Olympic and world titles in the same year? —San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

Maori & Hawaiian, woman

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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