Hawaian Words

'a'ä
(see also: pa-hoehoe )
rough, chunky basaltic lava.

'ahi
tuna, especially yellow-fin tuna. Tuna is often served raw as poke (Hawaiian) or as sashimi (Japanese).

ali'i
chief, chiefess, king, queen, noble. Hawaiian nobility.

aloha
love. Like most Hawaiian words, it has a variety of meanings: As a greeting it means hello or goodbye. As a noun it means, compassion, mercy, love, lover, grace, kindness. As an adjective, beloved, kind, charitable. As a verb: to love, to pity, to venerate. In some contexts it can even mean alas! In the doubled form: Alohaloha means to make love, express gratitude, affection, or compassion, or to give thanks.

hale
(See also: Hale.a.ka.la- , Hale.ku.lani )
a house or building.

hana
Work.
ex: "Pau Hana " (finished work).
Also a town on Maui , accessed only by surviving a harrowing cliffside 'highway'.

haole
(See also: hau'oli )
caucasian; esp. American or English; Formerly: any foreigner. Haole plants are plants of foreign origin. It does not mean "no breath", or "bad breath" or any of the fashionable variations on that theme. It is not a racial insult. "Damn haole" (or a similar term) probably is though.

hau'oli
happy, glad, or joyful.
ex: "hau'oli makahiki hou " , Happy New Year! or
ex: "hau'oli lä hanau " , Happy Birthday!

haupia
coconut cream pudding. Famous as a staple at certain picnics.

heiau
an ancient religious site.

hemo
to remove or take off.

hou
(See also: hui )
1. New, fresh, recent.
2. Again, more. "A Hui Hou " meaning "Till we meet again".

hui
1. Club, association, firm.
2. To join, unite, introduce, meet.
3. a plus sign ("+").

hula
Traditional Hawaiian dance; squelched by early missionaries, but revived by King Kala-kaua , and performed widely today. A traditionally slow dance involving the hands to tell a story. The really fast variant is from Tahiti; don't confuse the two!

humuhumunukunukuapua'a
Hawaii's state fish; the reef triggerfish, or "Rhinecanthus rectangulu". Try breaking it up into two humu 's, and then two nuku 's, and then an a , followed by an pua'a .

kai
sea, sea water, area near the sea, brackish.
ex: "Hawai'i Kai " (a famous district east of Honolulu)
ex: "Makai " (towards the ocean).

kälua - pig
Hawaiian cuisine; shredded pork wrapped in Ki leaves and cooked in an underground earth-oven called an "imu " , with the aid of super-heated volcanic rocks and lots of water. Kids, do NOT try this at home, 'cause most hot rocks explode when you pour water on them. Traditionally the central food at a luau .

kama 'äina
Lit. "born in the land". Host, native, acquainted, familiar. This is an important concept in Hawaiian culture. If a Hawaiian calls you a "kama'a-ina " , they have just paid you a very nice compliment. You don't have to be born here to be one... it's an attitude. Some people who think they are, aren't, and lots of people who think they are not, are. The usual interpretation, however, is someone in possession of a state Driver's License.

kapa (or "Tapa")
a bark-based cloth that ancient Hawaiians made into clothes, sails, etc.

kapu
taboo, forbidden or sacred. On somebody's gate it means: "No Tresspassing".

ki (or "Ti")
a plant with long, broad leaves (Cordiline terminalis). This plant has always been very important to the Hawaiian culture. It was (and still is) used for clothes, cooking, making leis, wrapping packages, and is used in Hawaiian traditional medicine.

komo
to enter, to go in, to join a class or organization.

Kü
(See also: Lono , Pele )
a rather violent Tahitian god who sometimes appears in Hawaiian legends.

kükae
excrement.

kukui
light. Also: Hawai'i 's State Tree, better known as the candlenut tree (Aleurites moluccana). The nuts of this tree provided the early Hawaiians with light and they still provide oil, relishes, and medicine. Growing a kukui tree in your front yard is considered an ostentatious display of wealth.

lani
heaven, spiritual, majesty, as in: 'Io.lani ("Hawk of Heaven" or "Royal Hawk") Palace
Hale.ku.lani ("House of Heaven") hotel.

lei
a closed or open garland or wreath of flowers, leaves, shells, ivory, feathers, nuts, beads, paper or other materials worn around the neck or on the head. To put a lei on someone. A beloved child, sibling, spouse or sweetheart (because children are often carried on the shoulders with their legs draped down on both sides like a lei). Leis are very important in Hawaiian culture and there is a complicated ettiquette associated with them. "Never" refuse one. Never give a "Closed" lei to a pregnant woman, as this is considered extremely bad-luck towards the unborn child.

loa
1. far, distance, length, height (Mauna Loa )
2. very, very much (Mahalo Nui Loa )

Lono
(See also: Kü , Pele )
a Hawaiian god whom Captain Cook was mistaken for on his first visit, to the captain's great short-term benefit and eventual undoing.

lomi
to rub, press, massage. Lomilomi salmon is salt cured salmon that has been soaked and "massaged" (to get rid of some of the salt) then chopped up and mixed with chopped tomatoes, green and white onions. Goes great with poi. Traditional fare at a luau .

lua
a hole, pit, grave, or crater. A lua is a hole that has a bottom, contrasted with a puka which is a perforation. Also: a toilet.

luau
(See also: lua , Ka-lua pig, lomilomi salmon)
Feast. A traditional Hawaiian feast. Nowadays, either a tourist attraction or a gathering of locals.

mahalo
Thank you. Possibly of portugese origin. Sometimes seen with the modifiers "Nui Loa ", meaning "Big".

mahimahi (See also: nai`i porpoise)
The dolphin, or dorado fish (Coryphaena hippurus). A favorite fish to eat. If you have ever seen one (*UGH*-ly!), you know that it is definately NOT related to "Flipper".

ma.kai
(See also: mauka )
toward the sea or downslope.

malihini
stranger, or newcomer. Someone who isn't a Kama'a-ina or local.

mana
Spiritual (or supernatural) power.

ma.uka
(See also: ma.kai )
toward the inland or upslope. Famous for its inclusion in one of the local weatherperson's favourite island phrases, "Windward and Mauka showers".

mu'umu'u
Cut off, shortened, amputated, maimed. A loose gown, so called because in their haste to get the ladies covered up, the missionaries designed them without a yoke so they could be made faster (so many beautiful bodies to cover, so little time). Nowadays, designs range from casual to very formal in design. Customarily worn on Fridays to celebrate the aloha spirit. Traditionally has a flower print.

nai`i
The porpoise.

nënë
The state bird; the Hawaiian goose. Related to the Canada Goose. Once endangered, now recovering with populations growing slowly on on the Big Island and Maui. It has adapted itself to life in the harsh lava country by transforming its webbed feet into a claw-like shape and modifying its wing structure for shorter flights. Hunting and wild animals all but destroyed the species until they were protected by law and a restoration project established in 1949.

nui
much, big, as in Mahalo Nui Loa or Aloha Nui .

'ohana
family, relative, related. 'Ohana nui : Extended family or clan. Also used to describe a team or community.

'ökole
buttocks, in a good or bad sense.

'ölelo
speak, word, speech, talk, language.
ex: "'Ölelo Hawai'i ", (the Hawaiian language)

'ono
good, delicious. Frequently corrupted as "Onolicious".

pähoehoe
(See also: 'a'ä )
a smooth unbroken ropy type of lava, contrasted with 'a'a- which is chunky. `A`a- and Pa-hoehoe are Hawaiian words which have been adopted by geologists around the world to refer to these distinct types of lava.

paka.lölö
"Crazy-Weed", numbing tobacco, marijuana.

päkë
China, chinese.

Pali
cliff, as in the Na Pali ("The Cliffs") cliffs of Kauai , or the Pali lookout of
O'ahu .

pau
finished.
ex: "pau hana " (finished work).

Pele
(See also: Ku- , Lono )
red-eyed Hawaiian Goddess of the Volcano(s). Said to reside in Kilauea , after tangling with other gods, looking for a home.

pohä
to burst, crack, or break forth. Also: the Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana). Often used as a jam.

poi
hawaiian cuisine; taro root pounded into a paste. Poi ferments as it ages, and is considered best if it's a couple of days old or so. A bland side-dish for eating with salted food and fish. A starch staple of many people in Hawai'i . Its taste is frequently compared humorously to that of wallpaper paste. Usually in short supply, because of high demand, and limited cultivation. Strange... (where's the free market when you need it?)

püpü
snail or appetizer. Formerly the fish, chicken or banana served with kava.

ulua
giant trevally, pampano or jackfish. A favorite sporting and edible fish.

wahine
woman, wife. Also the name of a rather winning UH Volleyball team.

wikiwiki
fast, quick. Name of those trams at the Honolulu International Airport (HNL), and a convenience store chain on the Big Island.