Hawaiian Word of the Day: January 14th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published January 14, 2022 at 12:00 AM HST

Mea kanu means plant, like that potted one you have in your office or living room. It is a planted thing, a mea kanu. Don't confuse it with that big tree outside, that's a kumu lā’au.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of the Day: July 26th

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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.
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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.