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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: December 9th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published December 9, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-december-9th

Hale noho haumāna is the Hawaiian word for dormitory, a place where students live.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

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ʻElemakule means old man or to become an old man. Although ʻelemakula also means “old,” use it only for males – there's another word, luahine, for old women. And don't use ʻelemakule as a general term for old or things that are old – there are other words for that too, such as kahiko. Use ʻelemakule only for old men.
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May 6th: Līhuʻe

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One of the most commonly mispronounced place names in Hawaiʻi nei is Līhuʻe, the name of a city and district on Kauaʻi. It means “a cold chill,” and that's the feeling most Hawaiian speakers feel when they hear this beautiful name mispronounced. Write it out with a kahakō over the first vowel, and an ʻokina before the last one. Then say it.