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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: April 7th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published April 7, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Lawelawe means "to serve, work for, minister to, tend, attend to."

Lawelawe means "to serve, work for, minister to, tend, attend to." When you serve dinner, that's what you're doing, lawelawe.

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: June 24th

Leilani Poliʻahu

We hear the word tūtū used so often, but many of us not know that kūkū is another perhaps more traditional pronunciation for today's Hawaiian word. It means "granny, grandma, grandpa," or any relative or close friend of your grandparents' generation. You can say kūkū kane for grandfather, or kūkū wahine for grandmother, but kūkū by itself will always suffice.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: June 23rd

Leilani Poliʻahu

Wahiawā is one of those beautiful Oʻahu place names that is so often mispronounced. It means "place of noise," for the rough seas could be heard all the way to Wahiawā.