pali

¹ American  

[pah-lee] / ˈpɑ li /

noun

1. (in Hawaii) a steep slope or cliff.

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Pali ² American  

[pah-lee] / ˈpɑ li /

noun

1. the Prakrit language of the Buddhist scriptures.

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Pali British  

/ ˈpɑːlɪ /

noun

1. an ancient language of India derived from Sanskrit; the language of the Buddhist scriptures

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Etymology

Origin of pali¹

From Hawaiian

Origin of Pali²

1685–95; short for Sanskrit pāli-bhāsa language of the canonical texts, equivalent to pāli line, row, canon + bhāsa language

Example Sentences

A red British passport was a prized possession for those who had been in the UK long enough to own one alongside the Nigerian document, known as a green pali.

From The Guardian • Aug. 24, 2019

Ho’omaluhia Botanic Garden, at the foot of the pali, is richly replanted in native species.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2011

Ah, strange are the pranks of the wind, The Kiu-k�'e wind of the pali!

From Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula by Emerson, Nathaniel Bright

At the head of the bay rises a pali, or precipice, six or seven hundred feet high, and it is said to go down perpendicularly into the water perhaps as much more.

From Scenes in the Hawaiian Islands and California by Anderson, Mary E. (Mary Evarts)

Page 102 5Elua Hono-pu o ia kua kanaka; Elua Ko'a-mano 233 me Wai-aloha, Ka pali waha iho, waha iho 234 me ke kua; Ke keiki puu iloko o ka pali nui.

From Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula by Emerson, Nathaniel Bright