Where does “punihei” come from?

punihei (Hawaiian) comes from Hawaiian puni — surrounded.

punihei (Hawaiian): ensnared, entangled

Definitions

  1. ensnared, entangled

Ancestry of “punihei”, step by step

punihei traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hawaiian puni

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianpunisurrounded

via Hawaiian hei

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianhei
Every word from Hawaiian puni
punihei — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer