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Our Hawaiian word today is a good example of the importance of putting the right stress on vowel sounds, or leaving them off. Lolo means brains, and it is from that root word that we get such new words as lolo uila: one of the words for computer – an electric brain. If you say it with stress on both vowels it becomes lōlō, and that means paralyzed, numb, feeble-minded, or crazy. Be careful how you pronounce Hawaiian words. -
Our Hawaiian Word of the Day is kāhea meaning to call out, cry out, invoke, greet, or name. You may not use the word, but you hear its application often when you watch a hula performance and hear one or more of the dancers call out the first lines of a stanza as a cue to the chanter. Put stress on the first vowel.
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Every evening when we look into the sky, and see the planet Venus, we should remember that the stars and planets have Hawaiian names. And hōkūloa, our Hawaiian Word of the Day, is what we call Venus. -
Ho‘opulapula means to rehabilitate. That's why we use it to describe homestead lands. They're called ‘āina ho‘opulapula, lands for the rehabilitation of Hawaiians/Homestead lands. -
Nahu means to bite. And it can be the bite of anything – from an insect that bites, to the bite of a dog, or even the bite you take out of a piece of cake. -
A moʻolelo is a story, a tale, a myth, a tradition, or even a record of something happening. All the stories you read in the newspaper or hear on television are moʻolelo, even those regarded as news. -
Mana is another Hawaiian word we often hear in English conversation. People will tell of someone or something having mana – supernatural or divine power. It is also a good adjective, and someone with a leo mana is said to have an authoritative voice. -
Often we hear people talking about their ‘aumakua. It means a family god, or personal god, or a deified ancestor. Our ‘aumakua might be a shark or an owl, or even an inanimate object. It is said that ‘aumakua often warn and reprimand mortals in dreams and visions. -
A kupua is a demi-god, or cultural hero, especially a supernatural being possessing several forms, one possessing magical powers. Kupua can often change their form and may assume non god-like, very everyday things. -
Our Hawaiian word for today is puni meaning surrounded, controlled, overcome. Now that you know how to use the ho‘o prefix, you know that ho‘opuni can mean to surround, enclose, get control of: ho‘opuni. -
Pēlā means “in that way.” And pēlā nō means: that's so, that's it, that's how it is, exactly. It's a handy word to know and our Hawaiian word for today. Pēlā nō – that's it. -
Most of us know ipu to be the gourd we see and hear in the hands of many hula dancers and chanters. But it also has other meanings – it can be used to mean any kind of container; even a dish, mug, calabash, pot, cup, urn, bowl, or a utensil.
