Tbegeak. — Curious Polynesian Words. 535 



dropped (notably in Tabitian and Hawaiian) tbe corresponding 

 words suggest a curious explanation and relationsbip. In 

 Tabitian, ie is tJie mallet for beating out the native cloth from 

 bark ; it bas also tbe same meaiiing in Hawaiian ; but tbe 

 Tabitian bas also faa-ie to get a cloth-mallet, and faa-ieie, to 

 act in a vain, foppish manner. Tbis is probably tbe relative 

 of high, lofty; and tbis view is borne out by tbe Hawaiian 

 Hoo-iEiE, to be ennobled; to be dignified ; pompous; proud; 

 vain-glorious. Evidently tbe meanings are bare, but tbe con- 

 nection bas yet to be made out between beating ivith a 

 hammer a.nd proud, dignified. In New Zealand we bave a 

 trailing or climbing plant named kiekie (Freycinetia banksii), 

 and tbis was formerly, tbough rarely, used as a material for 

 making clotbing by tbe natives. In Samoa 'ie'ie means a 

 rag of cloth and also tbe Freycinetia. Ieie, in Tabiti, is the 

 fibrous root of tbe plant farapepe, used for tying fences, 

 making baskets, &c. In Hawaii ie means coarse cloth, canvas, 

 &c. ; a vine used in making baskets, also in decorating tbe 

 person ; flexible, limber, like clotb or a vine : ieie, tbe 

 leaves of the ie, formerly used in decorating tbe gods of 

 Hawaii, generally made into wreatbs ; to be decorated with 

 leaves, to be dressed in wreatbs : hoo-ieie, to be ennobled, 

 dignified, proud. Thus it would seem tbat ieie represents 

 botb ikeike and kiekie, and tbis can only be reconciled by 

 tbe presumption tbat tbe original word was kikekike, the 

 reason for being proud and exalted being that tbe person 

 spoken of was likened to one arrayed in tbe wreatbs such as 

 di%dne personages were decorated with. 



EHU (Maori), turbid, muddy. Tbis word is allied to kau- 

 EHU, viuddy, and perhaps to hu, vmd ; to bubble up. The 

 corresponding words in Polynesian are similar. Samoan, efu, 

 dust: Tabitian, ehu, discoloured, as water by reddish earth; 

 muddy or disturbed icatcr : Tougan, efu, dust: Mangarevan, 

 EHU, dust, ashes ; trouble, commotion. So far the direct cor- 

 respondence. Enu, in Maori, bas a second interpretation, that 

 of mist. This is a much more interesting series of compara- 

 tives, especially in having a prefixed consonant, a variant of r, 

 I, or n. In Maori we compare ehu, mist, with nehu, dust ; 

 nehutai, sea-spray ; eehu, mist, to doze ; rehutai, sea- spray ; 

 eehurehu, dimly visible ; pungarehu, ashes ; kaueeeehu, 

 dim, dusky : Samoan, nefu, to be turbid ; lefu, ashes : Tabi- 

 tian, EEHU, ashes ; rehupenua, liaze over the land : Hawaiian, 

 ehu, tbe spray of tbe surf, tbe steam of boihng water ; ehu- 

 EHU, darkness arising from dust, fog, or vapour ; hehu, mist 

 or vapoicr ; kuehu, to shake the dust from a mat ; lehu, ashes : 

 Tougan, efu, dust ; efuefu, ashes ; epuhia, dusty ; afu, tbe 

 spray or mist of the sea when breaking on the shore ; nenefu, 

 dusky, dim. We see here a complete interchange of ideas, not 



