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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: April 4th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published April 4, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Most of us have seen the Hawaiian word ʻōpala, and know it to mean rubbish or garbage, so by adding the causative prefix hoʻo, we can make it mean “to litter.” The new word is hoʻōpala.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: September 15th

Leilani Poliʻahu

We used to see so many signs that read “kapu” that people joked about Kapu being a Hawaiian who owned all that land. Actually, kapu, means taboo, prohibition, or even sacredness, or forbidden. And yes, on those signs it has come to mean “keep out.”
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: September 12th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Our Hawaiian word for today, hāpai, is one most people in Hawaiʻi already know and use, even in English conversation. It means to carry, and is most often used to describe a woman who is expecting a baby. It also means “to lift, raise, hoist, hold up, or support.”