Hawaiian Word of the Day: August 2nd

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published August 2, 2023 at 12:00 AM HST

Pokoliko is the Hawaiian transliteration of the English words Puerto Rico or Puerto Rican.

Pokoliko is another term given to an ethnic group that has settled in Hawaiʻi. Pokoliko is the Hawaiian transliteration of the English words Puerto Rico or Puerto Rican. And there are many pokoliko in Hawaiʻi nei.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

More Episodes

Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: July 26th

Leilani Poliʻahu

We so often see kuʻuipo on Hawaiian jewelry that we tend to overlook another beautiful Hawaiian word for sweetheart. It is huapala. Literally, it means “ripe fruit”— a fruit that is ready for picking, and that's how Hawaiians call their sweetheart.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: July 25th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Another Hawaiian place name that is often mispronounced is Waiāhole. It is a compound name from wai for “water,” and āhole for a type of fish.