humuhumu

English

Etymology

Shortening of Hawaiian humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, under influence from humuhumu (“triggerfish”).

Noun

humuhumu

  1. The reef triggerfish.
    • 2007 November 11, Bruce Handy, “Escapes”, in New York Times‎[1]:
      And so he does: Jules travels the globe to hug, among others, a chimpanzee, a giraffe, a gnu, a panda, a wombat and a humuhumu fish (fun to read aloud, whether you know how to pronounce it or not).

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌhu.muˈhu.mu/

Noun

humuhumu

  1. triggerfish

Verb

humuhumu

  1. (transitive) to sew

Maori

Verb

humuhumu

  1. (stative) to be amputated
    He waewae humuhumu tōna, engari he kaha tonu ia ki te purei hau pōro.
    He had an amputated leg but was still able to play golf.
    • 2021, “Tangaroa”, performed by Alien Weaponry:
      Ka humuhumu Tangaroa tātou!
      Ka humuhumu nga tamariki ō Tangaroa!
      We amputate the limbs of Tangaroa
      The children of Tangaroa are being ripped apart

Further reading

“humuhumu” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

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