wikiwiki (Hawaiian)

Where does "wikiwiki" come from?

The Hawaiian verb 'wikiwiki', meaning 'to be quick' or 'to be speedy', is formed through the reduplication of the base word 'wiki'[1]. This root traces further back through the language family to Proto-Eastern Polynesian '*witi'[1], with related cognates appearing in other languages such as Tahitian 'viti', which means 'fast, rapid, alert'.

Open questions

• The reconstructed proto form is only attested in Central Eastern Polynesian languages. [2]

Full etymology tree

• wikiwiki (Hawaiian), 'to be quick, to be speedy'
  • derived wiki (Hawaiian), 'to hasten, to speed up'
    • inherited *witi (Proto-Eastern Polynesian)
      • inherited *witi (Proto-Polynesian)

Descendants and derived words

• wiki (English)
• wiki (English)

Sources

1. wikiwiki (Hawaiian) - Wiktionary
2. wiki (Hawaiian) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris